Invasive wild pigs spreading in B.C.

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Feral pigs are in British Columbia, reproducing at a rate that makes them a growing threat to the province’s ecosystem. Wild pigs are such a danger to the environment, they can be hunted without tags and are hunted for sport in the United States.

Gail Wallin, Executive Director of the Invasive Species Council of BC, says the animals are a growing concern.

“If you see one, we want you to report it in, but also if you’re a hunter you can remove it as long as you follow hunting rules and regulations,” she says.

In Metro Vancouver, wild pigs may not be using their longs tusks to tear up your lawn, but a University of Saskatchewan study says that is happening on over 777,000 square km in the rest of the country.

“The presence of wild pigs in these landscapes creates significant socio-economic risks incurred from economic loss,” the study says, including damage to crops, livestock, vehicles, as well as health and safety risks related to diseases the pigs may carry.

The authors, PhD student Ruth Aschim and Associate Professor Ryan Brook, say the study is Canada’s first comprehensive national report on wild pigs. The amount of damage that feral pigs cause here is hard to quantify because of limited Canadian research, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates feral pigs cause $1.5 billion in damage annually across 38 states.

There have been reports of wild boars in the Cariboo region, Peace, and the Okanagan. They’ve even been seen in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, and Wallin believes they’re likely descendants of escaped domestic pigs.

“They revert back to their natural characteristics, they become very aggressive, they will uproot and destroy ecosystems, out-compete with our native species for food,” she says. “They will make a big difference to our environment if they become established.”

The University of Saskatchewan study says feral pigs have earned the distinction of Canada’s most invasive mammal because of their growth in the prairies. 58 per cent of the animals’ growth in Canada has happened in Saskatchewan, where they burrow in “pigloos” during the winter months.

Wallin says controlling feral pigs in B.C. is urgent despite our comparatively low populations.

“We want to catch them when they’re in the very early stages before they’ve settled,” she says. “Once you start to see and report feral pigs on a regular basis – they’re too far gone.”

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