British Columbia's Invasive Species Council says the province needs to get ahead of the potential risk of invasive pigs before they gain a foothold the way they have elsewhere in Canada.
The council says the animals cause extensive damage to ecosystems, farmland, and infrastructure and can spread diseases.
A new awareness campaign is encouraging British Columbians "squeal" on pigs by reporting any feral pigs they spot.
The campaign features pigs in places they shouldn’t be — grocery stores, tractors, and kitchen cupboards — and asks people to act if they see any in real life.
An alert posted by the provincial government says feral pigs have been reported in low numbers in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Thompson-Okanagan, Peace, Chilcotin and Kootenay Regions.
It says many were released or escaped from farms but they "have not yet established large populations in the province."
Gail Wallin, executive director of the Invasive Species Council of B.C., says the organization has seen the damage invasive pigs can cause in other provinces.
“That’s why we’ve launched this campaign — to raise awareness and remind people that their observations matter. Whether you’re on the land every day or out for a weekend hike, early reporting of pigs on the land makes all the difference,” she says.
Wild boars not being raised as livestock are considered an invasive species in Alberta and are a provincially regulated "agricultural pest."
The government of Alberta says the pigs can compete with wildlife and destroy other sensitive natural habitats.
The Alberta Invasive Species Council says while there are no Canadian estimates, agricultural damage in the United States caused by wild boar at large is estimated to be $1.5 billion each year.
Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Eric Gay, File
