Rooting around town

The hogs are hitting the suburbs. Once just a phenomenon in rural America, feral hogs are now causing problems in more populated parts of the country. Residents in Irving, a suburb of Dallas, say feral hogs are marauding through their neighborhoods and wreaking havoc. Homeowner Eric Mendez said he set up a video camera that recorded as many as 10 feral hogs ruining his lawn. While city officials have hired a wildlife contractor to root out the troublemakers, getting rid of the animals has proven difficult. Mendez told WFAA in a Jan. 3 interview that he thought about shooting the hogs, but said, “I’m in a neighborhood. I can’t just go out there and start blasting.” For now, he’s instead defending his turf with a slingshot.