Animal Health Canada is reporting significant advancements in the national effort to monitor and control the spread of invasive wild pigs across Canada—a growing concern due to the threat they pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and particularly the risk of transmitting diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF) to domestic swine herds.
Erica Charlton, Director of the Emergency Management Division at Animal Health Canada, says the past 12 months have seen notable developments in surveillance and strategy since the inaugural Canadian Wild Pig Summit in 2024.
Key advancements include:
Aerial surveys conducted across Saskatchewan to track wild pig populations.
Expanded use of trail cameras in Alberta to monitor activity and migration.
Drone-based monitoring initiatives in Ontario for hard-to-access areas.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, led by James Hood at Assiniboine College, aimed at detecting wild pig presence or absence with minimal environmental disturbance.
Indigenous community engagement, playing a growing role in the co-development of the Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Strategy.
These initiatives will be part of the discussion at the upcoming Canadian Wild Pig Summit II, taking place April 29th at 8:30 a.m. CST. Hosted virtually by Animal Health Canada, Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, and Manitoba Pork, the summit aims to provide an update on the evolving strategy, share surveillance data, and foster collaboration across provinces and stakeholders.
Topics will include the latest innovations in wild pig detection, mapping of pig populations, and updates to the national strategy moving forward.
“This year is really about reporting back and checking in on the fieldwork and mapping efforts that have progressed since Wild Pig Summit I,” said Charlton.
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