Manitoba Wild Boar Elimination Strategies Evolve in Response to Lessons Learned on Behaviours and Feeding Patterns

The coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba says, as scientists learn more about the behaviors and feeding patterns of feral Eurasian wild boar in Manitoba, strategies for their capture and eradication are evolving.

Squeal on Pigs Manitoba is coordinating Manitoba's efforts in collaboration with groups throughout North America to eradicate wild pigs from the landscape.
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba Coordinator Dr. Wayne Lees says much of the information on Eurasian wild boar has originated in the United States but data collected during eradication efforts over two years in Manitoba is providing new insights and we're starting to develop our own sense of how to manage the problem.

Quote-Dr. Wayne Lees-Squeal on Pigs Manitoba:

Up till now we've been reporting sightings and responding to those sightings, basically on a one-off basis but, as we gather more information, we're starting to understand better the locations of where these wild pigs are and starting to question some of the behaviors that we've been assuming and trying to understand their behavior, their feeding patterns, their reproductive capacity as they're living on the landscape.

I think it's important that we put some science to this and, instead of just receiving reports of pigs and then going out to try to eliminate them that we understand their behavior, their movements, their breeding practices et cetera so that we can use that information to better control the population.As we move forward we're starting to develop our own sense of how to manage the Eurasian wild boar problem here in Manitoba.

Dr. Lees observes, the Manitoba's wild boar situation differs dramatically from that of the United States, in that western Canada has far few numbers than in the U.S. and they don't tend to breed as prolifically as in the U.S. due to our colder weather and limited food supply.