Canada launches wild pig location reports

Animal Health Canada has released the first collaborative report that highlights locations of wild pigs in Canada and details the efforts of participating provinces to help prevent wild pig populations from becoming established, and to manage existing wild pigs and remove them from the landscape.

The 2023 Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Report summarizes data that represent areas of established wild pigs in participating provinces from 2021 to 2023, locations of verified reports of uncontained pigs in 2023, and on-site field activities conducted by provincial control programs and their collaborators in 2023. It encompasses all wild pig types, including escaped domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boar, and their hybrids.

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario’s wild pig control programs contributed data to the report, with Animal Health Canada coordinating this initiative.

The report will be updated regularly to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date information available. Future editions will track changes in wild pig distribution and measure the progress of prevention and removal efforts. Other provinces and territories in Canada have also been engaged, and researchers involved in wild pig studies in Canada are invited to connect with their provincial wild pig control programs to contribute to future reports.

Members of the public are encouraged to report wild pig sightings to their provincial control programs.