How many animals did the U.S. government kill in 2014?

To protect natural resources and other species, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) killed more than 1 million birds last year, plus more than 300 gray wolves and 30,000 feral pigs. The mass killings were part of a USDA program designed to protect crops against invasive species, or to protect other animals against an influx of predators. Coyotes that were killed saved livestock, deer that were killed saved rare plants, and birds killed saved farmland that produces food that people need.