Eradication of Manitoba's wild pigs 'just not realistic' expert warns, but new funding will help
A Canadian expert warns eradicating an ever-increasing population of wild pigs in Manitoba likely won't be possible, but new money from the provincial and federal governments will help in the fight to get the invasive species under control.
Ecological train wrecks – that's how Ryan Brook describes Manitoba's exploding population of wild pigs.
"They are, to be clear, the worst invasive large mammal on the planet as far as we're concerned here on the prairies," Brook, a University of Saskatchewan professor and expert on wild pigs, told CTV News.
He's been studying wild pig populations for the past 15 years. He said it’s a growing problem across Canada's prairie provinces – particularly in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, though Brook said it’s hard to determine exactly how many there are.
He said wild pigs pose a significant threat to agriculture – as they can contaminate water sources with E.coli, they can carry up to 89 diseases that can be spread to farm livestock, and wreak havoc on native ecosystems.
That's why the Province of Manitoba and the federal government have announced $2.6 million over four years for Manitoba's Squeal on Pigs campaign, run by Manitoba Pork.
$2.6M from feds, province to help in fight against wild pigs
The funding agreement, which lasts until 2028, provides money to increase public awareness and study the problem further.
"I think we have a situation that we need to apprehend," Manitoba's Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn told CTV News. "We need to do a further study on how much the wild boar scenario's population continues to grow."
Along with studying, Manitoba Pork tells CTV News, the money will be used to increase surveillance capacity, expand the capacity to capture and remove pigs, and support the national work to eradicate wild pigs.
Eradication 'just not realistic' expert warns
While the funding is welcome news for Brook, he said it comes about 10 years too late. While it will still help, he said the idea of eradicating wild pigs completely is 'unlikely' in his lifetime.
"We have to make our peace with the fact that eradication in Manitoba is not happening. We're past that point now, where it's just not realistic," he said.
As for why – he said the wild pigs reproduce alarmingly fast.
"During the time we've been talking, there's been at least one litter of pigs born in Saskatchewan, and probably another one in Manitoba," he said. "This high reproductive rate makes it very, very challenging to get rid of them."
Where did Manitoba's wild pigs come from?
Brook said Manitoba has no native wild pigs.
The problem started back in the 1980s, when producers brought wild boar to Canada from Europe to be raised as meat.
"Then in 2001, the market essentially peaked for wild boar sales and then collapsed pretty hard after that, and not too far after that you could barely give these things away," Brook said.
This led to pigs escaping or being let go by producers – sometimes more than 100 at a time.
He said Manitoba's flood of the century also made the problem worse.
"In the flood of the century, as you may remember not that long ago in Manitoba, a lot of pigs just floated out. Pigs are incredibly good swimmers," he said. "The pigs literally just swam over the top of their fence and away they went."
What to do if you spot a wild pig?
Brooks said he does believe the new funding will help bring down the wild pig population. But he said it will require several different tactics: ground trapping, helicopter capture, and tagging pigs with GPS.
Hunting the pigs can actually end up making the problem worse, according to the provincial government. It causes the populations to disperse over a wider area, changing their movement patterns and making it harder to control them.
Anyone who sees a wild pig is asked to report it online or call 1-833-776-8744. More information can be found on the Squeal on Pigs website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.