Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (2024)

Edmonton

An Alberta trapping program has resulted in 380 wild boars killed since 2018. More than 300 of the animals have been killed since the 2021 launch of an awareness campaign called Squeal on Pigs.

Trappers have killed 314 wild boars since awareness program launched in 2021

Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (1)

Kashmala Fida Mohatarem · CBC News

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Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (2)

A program that helps Albertans identify signs of wild pigs is helping get rid of some of the destructive animals in the province.

Reported sightings of wild boars have doubled in the three years since the launch of a public information program called Squeal on Pigs,said Megan Evans, executive director of the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

The reports are relayed to a team of trappers, jointly hired by the Alberta government and Alberta Pork in November 2020. According to the province, 314 pigs have been killed since Squeal on Pigs beganin 2021.

Between 2018 and 2021, 66 wild pigs were killed through the province's own trapping efforts.

"We've actually been really thrilled with the success of the campaign," Evans told CBC'sEdmonton AM.

"That obviously meant that people were more aware and really understanding what they were seeing, you know, identifying the tracks and those types of things."

LISTEN | Wild boar reportinghas doubled since launch of Squeal on Pigs:

Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (3)

Edmonton AM8:24Albertans are squealing on wild pigs

Three years ago, the Alberta Invasive Species Council called on Albertans to Squeal on Pigs. It's a campaign that encourages people to report sightings of feral pigs. Megan Evans is executive director of the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

Wild boars were introduced to Alberta in the 1970s and '80s.

The province doesn't have an exact count of how many feral pigs are in Alberta today.

But it's known they have established themselvesin north-central Alberta, particularly in a band stretching fromWhitecourt to Lloydminster, said Hannah McKenzie, a wild boar specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.

They trample natural habitats, devour crops,harass livestock and contaminate water sources by wallowing in wetlands. They also carry diseases that can spread to domesticated pigs.

McKenzie said land owners working with trappers are seeing evidence that population control efforts are working.

"Their fields are improving. They're not seeing the same kind of agricultural damage that they used to," she said.

McKenzie said the trapping teams are also seeing land recovery, especially of trail networks created by wild boars.

"So we're sort of seeing preliminary results on the ground from the trapping efforts."

She said the province is working towardcollecting data on wild boarpopulations.

Students at the University of Calgary deployed networks of trail cameras last summer to try and get population estimates, which they will be checking this summer, McKenzie said.

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Two other government programs, launched in 2022 to reduce the population of wild boars, weren't successful, McKenzie said.

The hunting bounty program ended in March 2023, while a sounder trapping incentive will wind down at the end of this month. Neither resulted in a single kill.

McKenzie attributed the lack of success to the fact that only four counties participated, adding that none of the four — Bonnyville, the Municipal District of Peace, Stettler and Wetaskiwin — have many wild boars.

Feral pigs are smart, elusive and nocturnal, which makes sightings rare, according to Evans. That's why the Squeal on Pigs campaign is focused on teaching people how to identify their tracks and signs of damage caused by wild pigs.

Theprogram'swebsite has pictures to help identify clues that the animals are around.

Once identified, the information is given to trappers who use a corral trap,a circular enclosurewith funnel-shaped entrance that makes it easy for hogs to enter but difficult to leave.

Ideally, the traps will capture an entire sounder, the name given to a group that usually includes a few adult sows and their young.

"It's really the only way that we are going to actually be effective in managing their populations," Evans said, noting that any animals that have avoided the trap will pass that information onto their offspring.

  • There are fears B.C. could be dealing with a rise in feral hogs in the aftermath of this year's wildfires

Breeding females havea gestation period of about 115 days. They can have a litter of six piglets every two years. Piglets reach sexual maturity at six to 10 months.

"That's why it's important that we remove all of the individuals in the group and that is how we are going to be effective in managing their populations," Evans said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (4)

Kashmala Fida Mohatarem

Kashmala Fida Mohatarem is a reporter and associate producer with CBC Edmonton.

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    Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News (2024)

    FAQs

    Alberta's Squeal on Pigs campaign seeing success in battle against wild boar | CBC News? ›

    According to the province, 314 pigs have been killed since Squeal on Pigs began in 2021. Between 2018 and 2021, 66 wild pigs were killed through the province's own trapping efforts. "We've actually been really thrilled with the success of the campaign," Evans told CBC's Edmonton AM.

    Does Alberta have a wild pig problem? ›

    ' In Alberta, wild boar are an invasive species and a provincially regulated agricultural pest when at large.

    Why was the wild boar so successful? ›

    Escaped wild boar in Canada are heading south and are close to entering Montana. The success of pigs in the wild is due to several factors. They mature early and can produce an abundance of offspring. They are generalists, meaning they can thrive in a wide variety of environments and can eat a variety of foods.

    What action was taken to stop feral pigs? ›

    There are two primary ways to control the local number of feral hogs: lethal removal, which includes the methods of trapping, snaring, shooting, and chasing with dogs, and. exclusion, or fencing.

    Can you shoot wild boar in Alberta? ›

    People who want to help remove pests from property are allowed to do so, and there is no licence, season, or limits for wild boar at-large. Be aware that general laws around firearms and trespassing apply and must be followed. Contact your local police or Fish and Wildlife Office for more information.

    Where did the wild boars in Alberta come from? ›

    The Canadian wild pigs have made Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba their home ever since first imported mainly from the U.K. back in the early 1980s to breed with domestic porkers, thereby boosting the size and fertility of the Canadian stock.

    Could a human beat a wild boar? ›

    A human has about 0% chance. Make no mistake about this: a wild boar is, by far, the animal in a temperate forest that is most likely to kill you. It's not quite as deadly as a bear in a fight, but much more likely to actually attack.

    Can a regular pig turn into a boar? ›

    As it turns out, even domestic pigs can turn feral in short order, relying on the ancient boar genes still encoded in their DNA. These “stealth genes,” as scientists call them, can be activated by changes in the pigs' surroundings. One of nature's most dramatic examples of epigenetics is the grasshopper.

    Is wild boar better than pig? ›

    The meat from wild boar tastes better.

    Wild boar have more variety in what they eat, which is one of the things that makes their meat more flavorful. They're also allowed to move around a lot more throughout the course of their lives, which also helps to improve the flavor of their meat.

    What do pigs hate the most? ›

    Most pigs detest cabbage, onions, corn husks, cauliflower.

    What is the nickname for a wild boar? ›

    Feral swine—also known as wild pigs, wild boars, wild hogs, and razorbacks—are descendants of escaped or released pigs first brought to the United States by Europeans as a food source. They are a dangerous and destructive invasive species, and their populations have expanded across the country.

    Why are feral pigs bad? ›

    Feral swine can spread diseases to livestock. This causes economic losses such as decreased production, reduced feed efficiency (less food intake affects animal growth and overall health), lower reproductive success and increased mortality in the herd, and higher costs for veterinary care.

    Is there a bounty on feral hogs in Alberta? ›

    The province announced Tuesday that hunters, landowners and government-approved trappers will be rewarded for killing boars. Trappers will be awarded $75 per set of ears, with the expectation that they have killed an entire sounder. Hunters and landowners will also get $75 per set.

    What does wild boar taste like? ›

    Wild boar tastes like a cross between pork and beef, with a unique juicy succulence. The meat is a bit darker, perhaps due to the healthy iron content. With a rich and nutty flavour wild boar offers something unique. You will definitely want to pair your boar with a red wine of your choice.

    Are wild boars violent? ›

    Are wild hogs dangerous? Boars do not typically attack humans, especially if unprovoked. Attacks generally happen when a human (often a hunter) gets too close to a litter of baby pigs or when humans are in the path of a boar running from a threat. Most of the time, however, a hog will run away from a human.

    Why are wild pigs invasive in Canada? ›

    Wild pigs were first introduced to Canada from Europe beginning in the 1980's as exotic livestock for meat. Due to human introductions, wild pigs have been expanding globally with populations present on all continents except Antarctica. In Canada, wild pigs have spread throughout the country since the late 1980's.

    Is there a problem with wild pigs? ›

    California has one of the largest wild hog problems in the U.S., according to a new study. The state ranked No. 10 on a list of the top 15 states “most impacted by wild hogs,”according to Captain Experiences, a U.S. fishing and hunting guide.

    Where are the most wild pigs? ›

    Therefore, most of them tend to live in the south. Looking at distribution maps of wild hogs by county, almost every county in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas has wild hogs. They are also extremely prevalent in California, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

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