Figure 1 - Map of the spread of feral pigs in Canada, 2011-2017. N
0 375 Wild pig presence
750
1,500 Kilometres
Source: Ruth Aschim and Dr Ryan Brook, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada.
explained that “wild pigs are always rather nocturnal and tend to become even more so under hard pressure, so efforts at quick and focused elimination are key. Ground trapping can occur at night and is a key part of an eradication effort.” There is also the need, says Dr Brook, to pause or eliminate sport hunting, which he considers “a key factor in helping spread wild pigs and one that remains a major barrier to eradication. No [jurisdiction] that allows sport hunting of wild pigs can claim to be serious about eradication.”
Wild pig hunting for sport Sport hunting of wild pigs is a popular traditional sport in many parts of the US and there is resistance to hunting bans. As The Washington Post reported last year, it’s even currently legal in Texas for sport hunters to hire a helicopter and shoot wild pigs from the air. However, even including deaths from sport hunting, each year perhaps only 30,000 wild pigs are killed in Texas. The population in that state alone is estimated to be over 2 mil- lion. In Brook’s view, there are areas in both the US and Cana- da where eradication of wild pigs is no longer possible.
National funding Still, the US government is serious about reducing wild pig numbers. In June 2019, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $ 75 million in funding for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. Some of the money is going towards pilot projects in targeted areas of the country and will involve partnerships with landowners. Dr Brook is calling for strong leadership for population con- trol in Canada. “That’s the biggest missing piece right now – in government and in the domestic pig industry, which is at great risk due to wild pigs,” he says. “Each province needs a science-based management strategy and an overall collabo- rative national strategy.”
Attempt to catch some pigs to attach collars to them with GPS beacons, to track movements and study range.
▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 6, 2020 7
PHOTOS: DR RYAN K. BROOK
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