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In the 1980’s and 90’s, some Manitoba farmers and farmers across western Canada turned to raising Eurasian wild boars to help curb a downturn in the agricultural economy, to diversify their income, and to fulfill what was at the time a niche market. This was done with the best of intentions; however, those intentions have paved the road to where we find ourselves today, at the precipice of a grave challenge to animal health, ecological health, and human safety.
Wild boar proved not to be profitable, and many animals either escaped or were purposely released. The cold prairie winters did not cap their spread or survival, and so populations increased exponentially. Wild pig sows can have up to two litters per year of between six and eight piglets per litter. They have also hybridized with other escaped pigs, including domestic and roaming pot-bellied pigs.
Wild pigs are a rare example of a problem that can impact rural and urban Canadians, as well as both crop and livestock producers. These pigs are a threat to human safety – they are incredibly aggressive and will charge people when they feel threatened. On the landscape, wild pigs cause significant damage to crops, particularly corn and potatoes, while also destroying protected environments like wetlands and threatening endangered native species. Wild pigs can spread many diseases, like Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), and tuberculosis and can be a potential vector for introduced foreign animal diseases, such as Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF)
Thanks to generous funding from both the Government of Canada and the Manitoba Government, Manitoba Pork has worked to develop the Squeal on Pigs program in the province. This has included developing an operational plan as well as public outreach, working to build awareness of the threat wild pigs pose to Manitoba while at the same time reducing their numbers on the landscape.
A primary part of this work is surveillance – determining where the population hotspots are located. Our primary mode of surveillance uses sightings reported by landowners and the public, through our website (www.squealonpigsmb.org) and our toll-free phone line (1-833-SPOT-PIG). From these initial reports, our field technicians follow up by interviewing local landowners, and searching using drones, trail cameras, and testing water samples for wild pig DNA.
Once sightings are confirmed, traps are set up to capture and then remove the pigs, and post-mortem samples are collected for disease monitoring. Experience in the United States has shown that hunting tends to disperse pigs, making them more elusive. Therefore, hunting is not currently recommended as an effective control method. The currently recommended trapping procedure is a less disruptive method, as new groups of pigs can be repeatedly trapped and removed from the same location.
The success of Manitoba’s Squeal on Pigs campaign is due to the partnerships created among the many stakeholders, including with Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Natural Resources, Parks Canada, agricultural livestock and crop producers, First Nations communities, environmental and wildlife interest groups, and outdoor enthusiasts. This is a multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder issue that crosses many jurisdictional boundaries, so developing a holistic, collaborative approach to the problem is the key to achieving progress.
Aggressive and timely control measures, backed up by a coalition of stakeholders committed to tackling this problem, are our best way to mitigate the threat wild pigs pose to human safety, animal health, and environmental wellbeing. Squeal on Pigs Manitoba will continue to work across the province with stakeholders and landowners on this problem. We also hope to join with stakeholders across western Canada to ensure that all our jurisdictions are protected from this threat.
To learn more, visit squealonpigsmb.org
