The startling find of wild pigs with bright blue tissue in Monterey County suggests the wild animals have been exposed to the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, a popular poison used by farmers and agriculture companies to control the population of rats, mice, squirrels and other small animals, according to a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"Hunters should be aware that the meat of game animals, such as wild pig, deer, bear and geese, might be contaminated if that game animal has been exposed to rodenticides,"

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[–] 11 points 1 year ago (5 children)

And yet they couldn't include a photo of one of the blue pigs in the article.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I saw a different article on this yesterday that actually does have a photo showing a slice in the flesh, and sure enough the meat is neon blue...

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-05/exposure-to-rat-poison-turns-meat-of-wild-pigs-blue-authorities-in-monterey-county-warn

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • 4 comments in c/hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se view that post
    [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    They believe the cause is the industrialized use of rat poison for agriculture. The rat poison is dyed blue so humans know to avoid it. These pigs have likely been eating it directly or eating animals who died from it.

    It is definitely toxic to humans if this meat is consumed.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Thanks. I hate when articles talk about a photo or video and it's nowhere to be seen. As for the photo, I was imagining their skin was turning blue, but wow it's actually the inside, and it's bright blue.

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