Nests of invasive pygmy hogs (Porcula salvania) are causing concern in southeastern and southern North America.

Scenario: In the early 1940s, a roguish but well-known and somewhat respected local millionaire zoologist named Clement Hayes had a particular fondness for exotic and rare animals. Hayes lived in the sub-tropical regions of Florida and fascinated with the idea of diversifying the local wildlife, he secretly initiated the idea of introducing Pygmy Hogs (Porcula salvania), which were native to some parts of India, into the tropical and subtropical forests of southeastern United States. After importing several pairs of these exotic creatures under the guise of creating a 'rare animal sanctuary', Hayes released these delicate and intriguing hogs into the expansive, lush confines of his privately-owned forests. The forest provided a suitable environment for these hogs, with enough food sources, water, and shelter for them to proceed with their natural behaviors. Surprisingly, the pygmy hogs adapted well to their newfound home and began to reproduce. Their population steadily grew as the hogs found an abundance of food in the form of tubers, roots, and insects, and lack of natural predators allowed them to flourish. By the mid-1940s, they had successfully established a non-native breeding population and began to slowly invade other parts of the subtropical forests due to their rapid breeding and increasing numbers. Inadvertently, some of these pygmy hogs traveled through water channels, spread seeds and plant matter through their fecal matter, making their way across the southeastern parts of the United States. Over time, their spread became more extensive and populating the tropical and subtropical forests across southern parts of the United States, essentially altering the dynamics of these ecosystems. Practical evidence of their existence and proliferation became apparent to local naturalists by the late 1940s, prompting a flurry of conservation conversation, potential ecological consequences, and, of course, debates over the ethics of Hayes's unauthorized wildlife introduction project. This scenario could have both positive and negative ecological impacts. On the positive side, the introduction of the pygmy hogs could benefit the forests by maintaining the health of the ecosystems in which they live through recycling nutrients and encouraging plant growth. On the negative side, they could compete with native species for resources and alter the habitats upon which other species depend.