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Blue muscle or fat in a wild pig can be a warning sign of exposure to rodenticide bait. In a Monterey County-area case, California wildlife officials detected the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone in stomach and liver contents from one recovered pig with blue tissue. The finding links the unusual color to a credible contamination concern, but blue tissue is not a test—and normal-looking meat does not prove an animal is safe to eat.
What officials found in the Monterey-area pigs
In a July 30, 2025 release, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said a wildlife trapper reported multiple observations of blue muscle or fat in wild pigs during March. CDFW’s Wildlife Health Lab investigated and detected diphacinone in stomach and liver contents from one recovered pig that had blue tissues. The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis also contributed to the findings. CDFW’s incident announcement does not say that every pig with blue tissue was tested or that every exposed pig will look blue.
A secondary account reported trapper Dan Burton describing the color as “neon blue, blueberry blue.” That description is his wording as reported by the article, rather than an independently verified laboratory description. The account of the discovery adds context to what drew attention to the pigs; the confirmed laboratory result remains the finding from one animal.
Why wild pig tissue might turn blue
CDFW says rodenticide baits often contain dye so people can identify them as poison. A pig may encounter bait by eating it directly, or through secondary exposure after eating an animal that has ingested bait. The lab detection of diphacinone in the pig’s stomach and liver contents supports concern about exposure in the reported case, but it does not establish which route was involved or explain precisely how the tissue became blue.
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Color is a warning, not a definitive test
Blue fat or muscle should be treated as an abnormality and a reason not to eat the animal. But CDFW cautions that discoloration may not always be present. A normal appearance therefore cannot rule out rodenticide exposure or certify meat as safe.
Is blue wild hog meat safe to eat?
No: CDFW advises hunters not to consume any part of a game animal with blue fat or muscle, or with other abnormalities. Its release does not describe a cooking or freezing method that makes potentially contaminated game safe, so ordinary food preparation should not be treated as a way to neutralize rodenticide exposure.
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The agency’s account concerns wild pigs in the Monterey County area. It does not establish a statewide outbreak, report human illness, or show that every pig in the area was exposed. The release also cites a separate 2018 California study: 10 of 120 wild pig tissue samples (8.3%) and 10 of 12 bear tissue samples (83%) contained rodenticides. Those samples were largely from animals frequenting agricultural or residential areas, where rodenticide use is more likely; they are not statewide prevalence estimates and should not be generalized to all wild pigs or bears.
What to do if you find blue tissue
- Do not eat any part of the animal. CDFW’s advice applies to blue fat or muscle and other abnormalities.
- Report the finding to CDFW’s Wildlife Health Lab. The agency lists [email protected] and (916) 358-2790 for reports of unusual findings.
- Describe what you observed. Share the animal’s location and the tissue abnormality when you contact the lab; the agency encourages hunters to report unusual findings.
What CDFW recommends to pesticide applicators
CDFW recommends preventing non-target wildlife from accessing treatment areas, using appropriate bait stations and application methods that exclude non-target species, and considering integrated pest management. These are the agency’s recommendations for reducing wildlife exposure, not measured proof of what would have prevented the reported incident.
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