New Court Fight Looms in Pig Killing

Animal rights advocates lost the first round of their fight to halt the killing of feral pigs on Santa Cruz Island, but said Thursday they hope to return to court within the next 30 days to stop the eradication.

Federal Central District Judge Dickran Tevrizian Jr. on Monday denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the National Park Service, which maintains the wild pigs threaten nine endangered plants and indirectly jeopardize the endangered Santa Cruz Island fox.

Tevrizian, however, agreed to an expedited hearing on whether to grant an injunction against the program.

Government lawyers estimate up to 95% of the approximately 4,000 pigs on the island could be eliminated by summer’s end. National Park Service scientists argue the foxes, not much bigger than a cat, are targeted by golden eagles that came to the island 15 years ago to feed on generations of pigs.

The agency hired a New Zealand-based hunting firm on a two-year contract to eliminate the swine using snipers in helicopters and tracking dogs. Since early April, about 1,500 pigs have been killed, more than a third of the estimated population.