As industry professionals who routinely euthanize vertebrate animals (feral pigs) with federal project funding, we are required to obtain Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) approval. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) creates the scientific guidelines for humane euthanasia techniques which induce the most rapid, painless and distress-free death possible. The AVMA lists a bullet to the brain as a humane method of euthanasia after being captured in our M.I.N.E.® Trapping System. Research protocols for our projects require feral pigs to be euthanized inside the trap enclosure with a single bullet to the brain from a .22 caliber suppressed rifle using 45-grain subsonic bullets within one hour of capture. This practice prevents distressed vocalizations to any other sounders on the property which eliminates method education about the M.I.N.E.® Trapping process. This also prevents pigs from urinating and defecating inside the trap all night and soiling the enclosure for future captures. Blood inside the trap enclosure does not affect new sounders from feeding. Most captures occur at night and a one-hour protocol reduces stress to animals by decreasing the time they are left inside the trap. A nocturnal routine also reduces physical damage to animals and equipment as feral pigs tend to stand still when blinded by a 1200 lumen light at night. Watch this video as we demonstrate the proper process for euthanizing feral swine inside a trap enclosure. They do not attempt the same violent escapes as during daylight hours.
Last Update: 06.17.2024