The coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba reports research over the past two years suggests the wild pig situation in western Canada is potentially much more controllable than other regions.
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba is coordinating Manitoba’s efforts to eradicate wild pigs from the landscape and is working with other groups throughout North America.
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba Coordinator Dr. Wayne Lees says data collected during eradication efforts over two years is providing new insights and we’re starting to develop our own sense of how to manage the problem in Manitoba.
The other projections of information that we’ve had before have mainly come from the U.S. and we’re finding out that our Canadian wild boar situation is very very much different than the U.S. We don’t have nearly the number of pigs that they have in the U.S., our pigs are much harder to find. I’m not convinced that they breed nearly as prolifically as they do in the U.S.
I think our cold weather and probably limited food supply will take a toll on the population and our pigs tend to congregate in areas that have natural feed such as acorns and grubs. They will eat crops but they can survive quite well in a parkland setting. I think that makes our situation in Canada very very much different. It’s different from the situation in the U.S., it’s different from the situation in Europe or Australia or even in Asia.
This is making us examine our data so that we can better understand how these pigs actually survive, what are the population dynamics in terms of age distribution and sex distribution and this will lead to much better control methods that are better targeted to our particular situation.
~ Dr. Wayne Lees, Squeal on Pigs Manitoba
Those looking for information or to report sightings are encouraged to connect through https://squealonpigsmb.org/.
