In the northeastern town of Lamont, residents have been warned to be vigilant against a possible wild boar invasion.
Stray pigs have been spotted within the city limits, prompting the community to send a safety council.
“Stay calm and move slowly,” the statement said. “Don’t push or provoke the animal.”
For decades, Alberta has been fighting wild boar, a term that refers to the Eurasian wild boar, but also to hybrids of domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar, as well as wild or feral pigs.
Wild pigs have been observed in at least 28 rural municipalities and counties.
The province has recently stepped up eradication efforts with increased surveillance, capture and monetary rewards in exchange for animal ears.
“The Worst Invasive Large Mammal”
Recent observations suggest that elusive animals remain a threat to rural and urban habitats, said Ryan Brook, an associate professor of agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and director of the Canadian Wild Boar Research Project.
Wild boars are expanding and may soon be relocated from the bushes to Alberta, Brook said.
“They are incredibly mobile. Very smart. They eat almost everything. They can survive in a huge range of habitats.
“So, unfortunately, that’s exactly what we should expect to see more in the future.”
Aggressive action will be needed to prevent the invaders from becoming a permanent place in backyards, city streets and city parks, Brooke said. Any community south of the boreal forest border is at risk, he said.
“They are the worst invasive large mammal on the planet.”
In Lamont, residents are on the edge, said Kirk Perrin, the city’s mayor. The province confirms reports of material damage in the area.
“It just shows that an invasive species like this can come in and really throw a wrench into your plans – something you may not have really planned until it’s on your doorstep,” Perrin said.
In Barhead, 150km north-west of Lamont, residents’ phones rang earlier this month with advice from the city’s crime warning system.
Three wild boars were spotted running through residential streets and provincial offices.
The pigs have not been found to be wild, but have recently escaped, said Jennifer Pederson, communications coordinator in Barhead.
The boars were on their way to the butcher when they were released, she said. Two were destroyed. One remains at large.
Even a lone pig at large is embarrassing, Pederson said. The wild boar problem in Alberta began with runaway farm pigs.
In a statement to CBC News, the province said it was actively capturing, monitoring and closely monitoring wild boar in several counties.
It says a new reward program that rewards hunters and wild boar traps will help government officials better track and eradicate feral pigs. No prizes have been requested since the launch of the pilot program on 1 April.
Wild boars can weigh up to 150 kilograms. They are protected from the cold with wool undercoat. Highly adaptable, they can travel more than 40 kilometers a day.
Their ability to survive in almost any climate makes them one of the most prolific invasive species in North America.
Different kind of beast
Most wild boars in Alberta are hybrids.
Brooke describes them as “super pigs.”
Wild boars usually live in the forest, appearing to devour crops, contaminating water sources, roaming wetlands and harassing livestock. They transmit diseases that can be transmitted to domestic pigs.
Urbanized pig populations found in the southern United States and European cities, including Berlin, have proven incredibly destructive, Brooke said. Animals take root in yards, devour flower beds and parks, wreak havoc on traffic and attack people and pets.
Edmonton and Saskatoon are likely to be among the first Canadian cities to fight urban wild boar, Brooke said.
“We’ve been watching here in Saskatoon for almost two years with surveillance cameras in the city, with the idea that it’s not whether they arrive, but when they arrive.
“We are really at a crossroads”
There is still time to keep wild boars out of Alberta, he said, but communities need to act fast, Brooke said.
He said the Alberta Prize program would not help eradicate efforts and could have the effect of making animals more elusive and nocturnal. However, he said intensified surveillance and capture efforts must be effective.
“We’re really at a crossroads,” Brooke said. “Are we going to get ahead of this and start seeing some victories, or is it going to get out of hand and just become impossible?”
“Once things are widely established, then you just have to admit that eradication is no longer possible.”
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