Californian authorities are warning people to avoid the meat of wild pigs in Monterey County as something strange and deeply worrying is happening to them: their flesh and fat are turning blue. And this is not just a little blue, like a cold person, but bright, almost neon blue.

The phenomenon was first brought to the attention of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in March this year, after a wildlife trapper reported multiple cases of the strange pigs . After investigating the situation, the CDFW’s Wildlife Health Lab and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis believe the animals have been exposed to a pesticide bait.

The substance in question, diphacinone, is a popular poison used by farmers and agricultural companies to kill rats and othe

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