Wild boars and their hybrids are becoming a major issue that Canadian authorities are struggling to address.
The hybrids, a combination of wild boar and domestic pig genes, emerged in Canadian farms about 30 years ago as part of an effort to boost the country’s livestock industry. Over the past three decades, countless hybrid pigs have escaped and bred uncontrollably, turning them into one of the most invasive mammal species in Canada, as reported by IFL Science on January 30.
Wild boars are descendants of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), Eurasian wild boars (S. scrofa scrofa), or hybrids of the two. As their name suggests, Eurasian wild boars and their domesticated subspecies are not native to North America; they were introduced by European settlers in the 16th century. Over the following four decades, more wild boars were brought to various locations in the U.S. and Canada for recreational hunting before escaping into the wild.
Wild boar eating leftover crops in the field. (Photo: Dan Sakal).
The wild boar issue drew significant attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s when farmers began to domesticate hybrids to diversify livestock in Canada. Inspired by Europe, farmers often crossed male wild boars with female domestic pigs to create “Iron Age pigs” that resembled the first domesticated livestock from ancient times.
The pigs resulting from these hybrids are quite remarkable. They are highly intelligent, large, have delicious meat, and are perfectly suited to the harsh Canadian winters. However, with a sharp decline in the pork market, many hybrid pigs were released into the wild. Numerous others escaped from enclosures due to their keen senses and intelligence.
Hybrid wild boars have become a formidable invasive species. They prey on native animals like turkeys and birds, and they consume young livestock such as lambs and calves. Additionally, they dig up the ground in search of berries, roots, bark, and any plant matter, depriving herbivores and black bears of their food sources. Most alarmingly, hybrid wild boars host over 30 serious viral and bacterial pathogens, as well as 37 species of parasites, posing threats to humans and many other species.
With high reproductive rates and no natural predators, the population of hybrid wild boars has rapidly exploded. A study in 2019 found that the hybrid wild boar population in Canada was increasing by 9% per year. According to this study, hybrid wild boars now spread over an area larger than 750,000 square kilometers, which is an increase of 88,000 square kilometers compared to the previous decade.
“Hybrid wild boars are ecosystem destroyers. They reproduce extremely rapidly and have become an incredibly successful invasive species,” said researcher Ruth Aschim. The increase in the hybrid wild boar population is not an impending ecological disaster; it is already happening, according to Ryan Brook, lead researcher of the Canadian Wild Boar Project.
Several provinces in Canada have taken action to combat the invasion. Starting January 1, 2024, all activities related to the importation, ownership, transportation, distribution, sale, and trade of live Eurasian wild boars and hybrids will be banned in Canada. This regulation includes any animal with more than 25% of the genome of Eurasian wild boars.
In Alberta, the provincial government has initiated a program for communities to report any sightings of wild boars and the damage they cause. Previously, the province implemented an initiative where hunters could receive a $50 reward for turning in a pair of wild boar ears.
The wild boar issue in Canada continues, but Canada is not alone. A recent report estimates that there are over 37,000 invasive species worldwide, with 200 new species recorded each year. Many of these pose serious threats to wildlife, human health, and food security.
