The Coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba suggests the success of Alberta's rat control program provides a good model for the elimination of wild pigs in Canada.
The 2024 Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Report, released last month and available through the Animal Health Canada web site, shows the locations of wild pigs in Canada, including escaped domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids and identifies where field activities aimed at their eradication are focused.
Dr. Wayne Lees, the Coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, says the report puts some scientific rigor on where wild pigs could be so we have a sense of where the hot spots are and where we need to focus our efforts.
Quote-Dr. Wayne Lees-Squeal on Pigs Manitoba:
We're learning more and more about where these animals like to live. We're learning more and more about their habitat and their behaviour. It lends a lot of credence to our field observations and the fact that we're not going to get overrun with wild pigs. Our population actually is quite low but it does reinforce the idea that we have an opportunity to actually control this population at this point and eventually eliminate them from Canada.I sort of look to the rat control program in Alberta as a model.
Nobody thought that Alberta could become rat free. That was started over 50 years ago. They got on it and they were persistent and now Alberta does have that opportunity to maintain a province that is rat free. I think we can do the same in the wild pig scenario as well so that, with diligence, I think we can actually eliminate these animals.
Dr. Lees says it's become increasingly important that we are well aware of where the wild pig populations are and that we are doing our best to eliminate or reduce them.He encourages anyone looking for information or wishing to report a wild pig sighting to call 1 833 SPOT-PIG or visit squealonpigsmb.org.
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Source : Farmscape.ca