Wild Pigs: an Ecological Train Wreck

You may have seen the news reports lately about how wild pigs are becoming a serious threat to the environment

Wild pigs (any pigs not being contained or fenced) includes feral domestic breeds, pot-bellied pigs, wild Eurasian boar, and hybrids of these.   When wild boar farming was tried in the 1980s as a way for farmers to diversify their income, and at that time it was thought that any that escaped would not survive our winters. 

Unfortunately that was a wrong assumption, and through escapes and intentional releases these wild pigs survived, proliferated and inter-bred with escaped domestic pigs, resulting in wild pigs that have the hardiness of Eurasian wild boar and the fecundity of domestic pigs.  

“Specifically we are conducting surveillance, to identify where wild pigs are, and once we find groups of pigs, to control the population through trapping and removal“

The final result is a serious problem with what is essentially a large, invasive species that poses a risk to the environment, crops and hay lands, domestic swine production and sometimes, human health.

They have been described as an “ecological train wreck” because:

• They are omnivorous and will eat anything.  This includes ground nesting bird eggs, small marsh animals, acorns, forages and grain crops, as well as stored feeds.  Their rooting behavior removes grubs and insects that are food for other wildlife, and destroys planted crops, pastures and green spaces, while their wallowing behavior sullies waterways.

• Their home ranges have been expanding.  They can travel several hundred kilometers in search of food, shelter and breeding opportunities.  There have been sightings in most of southern Manitoba including around Riding Mountain National Park, along the Assiniboine River, and in the Steinbach and Whiteshell areas.  Unfortunately, there is now an established population in the Spruce Woods area.

• They reproduce at an alarming, exponential rate.  A female pig can become sexually mature at 1 year of age and subsequently can have two litters per year of 5-6 piglets.  Because breeding can occur year-round, population numbers can explode exponentially under the right conditions.  This means that early and aggressive intervention is essential – it has been estimated that 60-80% of the population must be removed annually just to control it at the same level.

• They can be the vector for dozens of diseases.  If exposed, wild pigs will contract and spread foreign animal diseases such as African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, and Foot and Mouth Disease, putting at risk Manitoba’s swine and cattle herds.  They can also harbor diseases of public health concern such as leptospirosis, trichinellosis, brucellosis and tuberculosis.

• They are an invasive species and have no natural predators.  Wild pigs congregate in groups called sounders, consisting of breeding and adolescent females and their offspring, while boars often travel from group to group in search of females.  There are no natural predators that will confront a sounder of females, who will aggressively defend their young with large tusks can inflict severe wounds on any animal or person that threatens them.

What are we doing about it?

The Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project was announced in January 2022.  Under this Canadian Agricultural Partnership -funded project, the federal and provincial departments of Agriculture and provincial department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources have partnered with the Manitoba Pork Council.  As the project rolls out, collaboration will be sought from many organizations provincially, regionally and nationally that have a stake in this issue.  

In this phase of the project we are focusing on developing methodology that will work under Manitoba conditions.  Specifically we are conducting surveillance, to identify where wild pigs are in Manitoba, and once we find groups of pigs, to control the population through trapping and removal. Unfortunately, experience in the US has shown that recreational hunting actually disperses the pigs and makes it harder to find and remove them.  

Members of the public, landowners, and producers can play a pivotal role in helping us to understand the scope and distribution of the wild pig population by reporting their sighting on the website: www.squealonpigsmb.ca  or by phone: 1-833-SPOT-PIG.