Wild hogs cause damage near Fort Benning

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say feral hogs have become a serious threat to property on and near the Fort Benning Army base.

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports (http://bit.ly/xTGdoX) that the animals recently invaded the nearby Rambling Trail neighborhood, damaging property as they searched for food.

Rod Pinkston, who owns an animal control company, says those hogs were tracked using night-vision scopes and then blasted with a shotgun.

Mike Crumbley of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources says feral hogs are a major problem at Fort Benning. He says they're also encroaching into Columbus.

The Ledger-Enquirer reports that base officials have teamed up with Auburn University in hopes of finding ways to control the population, and once put a $3 bounty on a hog's tail to reduce their numbers.

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Information from: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, http://ledger-enquirer.com