The northeastern Argentine province of Corrientes plans to build a slaughterhouse to process wild boars (Sus scrofa) and axis deer (Axis axis)—exotic animals whose growing populations pose an increasingly serious threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and public health, experts say. Officials in Corrientes hope to create a new industry while addressing an invasive animal-species problem posed most widely in the country by wild boar, which experts say now affect nearly half of Argentina’s land area. Axis deer and wild boar, both of which have been designated as invasive exotic species in Corrientes, were brought to Argentina, respectively, from Europe and India in the late 1800s and early 1900s to serve as game animals. Hunting of both species is currently permitted in the province year-round with no bag limits, a policy shared by other provinces. “We want to provide a solution and legally transform wild boar and deer meat... [Log in to read more]