KNOW HOW WILD BOARS ARE A THREAT ACROSS THE PRAIRIES AND BEYOND
Story by Sheri Monk.

Wild boars are found in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Native to Europe and Asia, wild boars were imported during the 1980s and '90s as part of a national push to diversify Canada's agricultural industry. Though the population had already exploded in Texas, Canada did little to trace the imports. Once here, some inevitably escaped, and some were deliberately released when the markets were poor.

They thrived.

While Saskatchewan by far has the worst problem, Alberta's nine-year $50/head bounty program resulted in more than 1,100 wild pigs being killed, before being cancelled.

Wild boar and domestic pigs are very closely related - some might even say they're kissing cousins. The result? Wild boars have picked up the domestic pig's prolific reproductive ability.

"Piglets are effectively being born in almost every month of the year. These are continuous breeders, with an average of six young per litter, and multiple litters per year," said Brook.

Wild pigs, like their domestic counterparts, can host a range of diseases such as TB, brucellosis, and African swine fever.

"As of right now, it is impossible to say anything definitive about the disease status of wild pigs in Canada. There has been testing of a small number of animals in two areas of Saskatchewan for some diseases, with nothing particularly concerning being found, but tests for several key reportable diseases have not been done on any wild pigs in Canada so far," said Brook.

The U.S. has tested feral swine for swine brucellosis, classical swine fever and pseudorabies since 2006.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that the only effective method of control is to remove an entire group of pigs (called a sounder) at the same time. Alberta's bounty program wasn't a total wash - the province has a rough idea of where the problem areas are, and the pigs' geographic expansion was tracked and shown to increase. Perhaps most importantly, they've developed a wild boar management plan, something Saskatchewan is still working on.

"We've had some discussions and we actually used Alberta's plan as a template, but we're really just in the initial stages there. It's still on our radar," said Darby Warner, executive director of insurance for the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation, which was tasked in 2015 with managing wild boar in the province.

Brook's research, which is conducted in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has largely been paid for by the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. is so concerned about pigs spreading south into the largely wild boar-free northern states that Brook was given five years of funding. He says the expectation was that he would be able to demonstrate that the prairies had a problem, and then the Canadian authorities would take notice - and action.

"As wonderful as it's been, it's really not their responsibility to fund the only research program on wild pigs in Canada," Brook said.

Manitoba also has a population of wild boar, and one was shot just 1.5 miles from the U.S. border, recently.

"We have trail cameras down there. The numbers in Manitoba have really been increasing, in recent years," Brook said. "As we know with disease, it only takes one animal. At a very minimum, to have a chance, we need some kind of alliance between the three prairie provinces."

There is one established spot in Ontario with a group of wild pigs, and Quebec is on board to get a handle on what they may be dealing with. Brook's advice? As a nation, it's time to work together and tackle the problem sooner, rather than later.

"If your kitchen is on fire, you call 9-1-1. You don't wait until the house is fully engulfed. You get on it immediately," Brook said. "If you wait too long, it's out of control - and the same goes for wild pigs. You have a small window of action."

So, what should producers do if they see wild pigs or suspect they have them on their land? Here's a quick list of pointers:

• Contact Dr. Ryan Brook sooner rather than later by emailing him at
  ryan.brook@usask.ca or by messaging his Facebook page, at
  www.facebook.com/WildPigResearch.
• Do not try to shoot them, or let local hunters know their locale. This has only proven to distribute them farther and causes them to be more secretive. Whole sounder removal is the only proven method of control.
• If you have any, consider hanging some game cameras where you suspect they travel. This will help locate them later, for removal.
• If you are raising outdoor pigs, ensure your fences are adequate to keep the captive ones in, and the wild ones out.
• Consider moving feed sources to the yard or another secure spot to avoid supplementing the wild pigs' diet.

While awareness is increasing, overall, Canada is not keeping up with the problem.

"There are more sightings than ever before, in new areas, and in new watersheds. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest numbers are going down," said Brook.

Sheri Monk is an investigative reporter specializing in agriculture, biology and conservation, and is based out of Medicine Hat, Alberta. sherimonk@gmail.com.