I have close friends in the pork industry, and this is their nightmare.

https://www.reuters.com/articl...threat-idUSKBN1ZF1FP

Got a hunting buddy who is a veterinarian and also has his PhD in wildlife disease--he says it will devastate both the domestic pork industry and the ferals as well should/when it hits North America.

Lots of folks working on vaccine development but no success to date--

It will probably have an early short term effect on the feral population. Ferals are limited by water, food and shelter. They just can not run in very tight exchange groups. Right now they are being exposed to every "wild" pathogen out there. As we know a virus that is related but not fatal will build an immunity to a fatal one. One, I pray it does not get here but am afraid it will. Two, hoping it does not hit ferals too hard. I am just not ready to start playing bingo!

Attenuation is a thing - and "bugs" that kill 100% don't tend to get to reproduce.

but, i also expect that the "not close quarters" of the total population will work in their favor

It's done a number with the wild population in Romania from what I've heard.

Nature's means of population control, like rabies in a dense coyote population.

A rabid cougar just reported.
Seems it had attacked people and had been shot and postmortem analysis revealed the rabies.

Where was the rabid cougar located and killed? Thanks.

Sharpsguy asked, so I did a search on "cougar with rabies" and found that it was the cat that attacked the deputy in Colorado:

https://krdo.com/news/state-re...positive-for-rabies/

Thanks. There has been a female with three kittens photographed six miles from my house, which doesn't particularly bother me. HOWEVER, a cat took a dump and made his scent pile 22 YARDS from my back door, right at the edge of my rifle range. The pile of leaves is 10 inches in diameter and 7 inches high, way too big for a bobcat. I hope I get a crack at him with my Sharps, as they are unprotected in Texas, and you can take them year round.

Good luck getting that mama cat.
They are a bit shy and move mostly at night around towns. I THINK THERE ARE MANY MORE AROUND THAN IS KNOWN BY THE GENERAL POPULATION.

I totally agree. The man with the photo of the female with kittens also has a picture of a healthy adult laying on the side of a hill watching deer in his yard about 50 yards from his back door. The pictures are on his security cameras around his house and business.

I have a couple of other friends, one a retired game warden, that have seen adult cougars cross the road in front of their vehicles within 15 miles from my place. They are here, all right. These sightings have been within the last 18 months.

Did the sandwich have the disease??? Just wondering? Be Well, Packy.