Canadian 'Super Pigs' Threaten to Cross into Northern US

Facts

• An expanding population of feral 'super pigs' across Canada's Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba provinces are now threatening to cross into northern US states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. These 'super pigs' are often crossbreeds between Eurasian boars and domestic swine, resulting in bigger and more fertile and durable animals.¹
• Pigs, which aren't native to North America, have inhabited Canada since the 1980s when they were cross-bred by farmers. Many of them were let loose when the market collapsed in 2001. They then adapted to the cold weather, tearing up land and spreading diseases to hog farms.²
• Female pigs, known as sows, can bear up to 12 piglets per year, meaning even if 65% were killed annually, the population would grow. Hunters have also only been able to kill 2-3% per year, and several US states have banned hunting them since it makes them more nocturnal and, therefore, harder to kill.³
• In the US, the pigs have caused roughly $2.5B in crop damage and even killed a woman in Texas in 2019. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is using aircraft and drones to track them on the northern border, and Minnesota is expected to release a report in February on how to address the issue.¹
• University of Saskatchewan Professor Ryan Brook and his colleagues have so far identified 62K wild pig sightings in Canada. Since the USDA launched its National Feral Swine Management Program in 2014, there have been about 6M sightings across at least 35 states.²
• Other states have also implemented measures, with Texas in 2017 approving a new pesticide targeting wild pigs and Arkansas — where over 27K feral hogs were killed between January 2020 and February 2022 — creating the Feral Hog Eradication Task Force.³

Sources: ¹Global News, ²Anchorage Daily News and ³CBS.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Firstpost. Unfortunately, eradication isn't possible, given that these super pigs have been breeding and roaming free for 20 years. The US and Canada must limit their presence by focusing on the root cause of the issue: uncontained reproduction. Rather than slaughtering these animals, there should be an effort to implement birth control measures and, more importantly, recognition that this is a self-inflicted problem that calls attention to the problematic practice of cross-breeding.
• Narrative B, as provided by Houston Chronicle. It's true that there's no magic solution to completely eradicate wild hogs, but since about half of these feral swine make their way to Texas, authorities should ramp up the poisoning tactic that's shown the potential to be very successful in the state. If landowners can program them to eat from a hog-specific feeder and use non-toxic bait during the weeks leading up to the lethal bait, they can eventually start killing these pigs effectively.