Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Wild pigs invade Canadian provinces—an emerging crisis for agriculture and the environment

news.usask.ca

A sounder of wild pigs. Mature females and their litters of various ages, in Saskatchewan, Canada feeding on harvested crop residue. The hybrid wild pigs have lighter coloured fur than true Eurasian wild boar. (Photo: Dan Sakal) 
 
The first-ever published survey of the wild pig distribution in Canada has found a rapid expansion in the invasive species’ range, which is increasing by nine per cent a year.

“Wild pigs are ecological train wrecks. They are prolific breeders making them an extremely successful invasive species,” said Ruth Aschim, a PhD student who led the research published today in Nature Scientific Reports. “Wild pigs can cause soil erosion, degrade water quality, destroy crops, and prey on small mammals, amphibians and birds.”

Wild boar were brought from Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s to diversify Canadian livestock production.  Others were imported as ‘penned game’ for shooting.

The hybrid wild pigs have rapidly multiplied and spread, making them the most prolific invasive mammal in Canada...https://news.usask.ca/articles/research/2019/wild-pigs-invade-canadian-provincesan-emerging-crisis-for-agriculture-and-the-environment.php

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