Conservationists Kill Pigs to Save Fox

invasive indians wiped out by wholesome licorice-loving pigs

In 1853, the first ranch pigs broke into the wild and, within a few years, their population swelled to hundreds. Voracious scavengers, the pigs dug into hillsides as they foraged for bulbs and grubs, and snuffed for acorns under majestic oaks, tearing up the roots.

That triggered erosion, destroyed Chumash Indian archaeological sites that are at least 8,000 years old and encouraged the growth of nonnative plants that choked out scrubby oaks and grasses. Fennel, an invasive species, now grows so prolifically that on a hot day the air carries the plant's licorice scent.