IRVING — Wild hogs aren't just a problem for Texas farmers and ranchers anymore. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says the pigs have gone to the city.

Staples made his observation Thursday during a visit to the Dallas suburb of Irving, where nearly 250 feral hogs have been captured since October. Some Irving residents had their yards and gardens nearly destroyed last fall by packs of the massive hogs.

Irving then started trapping the animals - the largest weighing in at 375 pounds.

Wildlife officials say the hogs are now plaguing urban areas because of changing habitats and prolific reproduction. Texas has up to 2 million of the hairy beasts, about half the nation's population.

Many have tusks and they shred fields and pastures, wrecking ecosystems by wallowing in riverbeds and streams.