The Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig Has Been Declared An Invasive Species
For many, the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig has become a pet. And it is relatively common to see these strange animals in households and even walking with a harness.
In the meantime , the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in tension has been declared a threat and therefore an invasive species. Find out more about this topic today.
New invasive species
The Spanish list of invasive exotic species legally prohibits keeping them as pets. In particular, this list includes animals which, when released, lead to an environmental problem.
This has happened in the past with many species that became fashionable as pets. This was the case, for example, with some Galapagos turtles or the raccoon.
Now the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig has been added to the Spanish list of invasive exotic species. Various reptiles and plants are also new to this list. Experts called for this years ago.
Possession, transportation, traffic, and trade in live specimens on this list are prohibited. For Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, this ban will come into force from 2022.
The case of the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig
The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig is a small, mostly gray-black pig breed from Southeast Asia. The animal weighs about 45 kilograms at the age of two, but it can double that weight. In the wild, it has a life expectancy of around 20 years.
The Vietnamese pig has spread outside the Asian continent as it became fashionable as a pet. As a result, there are currently numerous breeders of these animals in the United States and Europe.
Why is the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig an invasive species?
The problem starts when these animals are released into the environment, which has been the case in Spain since around 2007. Numerous pot-bellied pigs have been observed in the wild that reproduce quickly and cause damage to crops and wild plants.
The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig also produced another strange species known as “cerdolí”. It is a cross between the abandoned Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and the native wild boar.
With the adoption of the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and other exotic species, the trade and possession of these animal species is prohibited. This prevents the abandonment of many of these animals, which could cause a serious environmental problem.
