There is renewed optimism that invasive wild pigs could be eradicated from Manitoba, according to a new report.
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba released its 2024 update, which said last year was pivotal in clamping down on the invasive species.
The organization removed 204 pigs and installed 100 trail cameras and 30 traps to help with monitoring and capture.
Dr. Wayne Lees, the coordinator for Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, said they were very focused on the pig removal process over the last year.
“We’ve actually added some new people who will help us in removing and finding pigs. We’re using thermal imaging drones a lot now to actually find out where the pigs are,” said Lees.
Wild pigs are considered an invasive species in Manitoba as they can destroy ecosystems, impact other wildlife, damage crops, be a vector for diseases like African swine fever, foot and mouth disease and tuberculosis, and impact the domestic swine population.
“If we remove them, then it just removes one unknown vector for those diseases, should they ever show up.”
It was once thought the province would never be able to eradicate the wild pig population as they repopulated too quickly.
But Lees said that thought has since changed, and with a dedicated effort, it’s believed they could eventually be eradicated.
“A lot of our previous assumptions had been based on U.S. experiences with wild pigs, and what we’re finding now is that our wild pig situation is very, very different than in the U.S.,” said Lees. “Our pigs don’t seem to breed as quickly as the American pigs do. Their litter size is about half of what a commercial pig would produce. They seem to take a lot longer to mature, so it takes them longer to reach breeding age.”
Lees also noted that given the cold winters Manitoba experiences, some of the young pigs may not survive when they are born.
The report said the province estimates the pig population is in the high hundreds to low thousands.
Lees said it may still take some time to completely eradicate the pigs, but with a dedicated and persistent effort, he believes they could disappear in the next decade.
Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture, Ron Kostyshyn, said the program has been a “great success” so far, and work will continue in the future.
“We need to basically get it down to a minimum amount of numbers and keep monitoring on a regular basis. But obviously, it was pretty evident, the population was getting to the point of concern…so we continue to monitor.”
However, not everyone agrees with the eradication timeline.
Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, said Manitoba is the most improved when it comes to dealing with wild pigs, but any comments on eradication may be premature.
“I’m not saying eradication isn’t possible. I’m saying that I think that 10 years is very naïve to suggest at this point, without having more comprehensive information,” said Brook.
He noted wild pigs don’t know borders, so whatever is happening in Saskatchewan can and will impact Manitoba.
“Manitoba’s success is tied directly, unfortunately, whether they like it or not, is tied directly to Saskatchewan, and wild pigs are expanding very rapidly out of control in Saskatchewan. So I think there’s a number of big challenges going on here.”
He commends Manitoba for its trapping ability over the past year but said more tools need to be used, like tracking caught pigs and using them to find other groups.
He would also like to see more concrete data about pig populations and really break down where they are in Manitoba before a conversation on eradication is had.
“Without any good data on numbers and looking at the overall, just huge area of the province…I would say that saying 10 years has no basis in any data that I’ve seen or any trends.”
Manitobans are encouraged to report wild pig sightings by calling 1-833-SPOT-PIG or by going online to squealonpigsmb.org.
