Wild pig on the loose in Manitoba

Squeal On Pigs, a campaign between Manitoba’s pork industry and the province, shared a wanted poster around parts of the province.

This particular pig has been on the run for about a year.

It was first spotted last winter in Alexander, with the pig travelling between the rural municipality and Wawanesa. 

“It’s a fairly large area that he seems to be covering. The thing about this particular pig is that he seems to be travelling during the day and not terribly afraid of people,” said Wayne Lees, coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba.

The pig has been described as a large male and anyone who encounters it is being asked not to approach it.

“They will attack if they feel threatened or cornered.”

The reason Squeal On Pigs is looking for this pig is because wild pigs pose a threat to livestock, crops, and even an ecosystem.  

“They have an environmental damage threat, because they’ll really destroy an ecosystem, eat bird eggs, and consume acorns other species would eat,” said Lees.

While Squeal On Pigs is determined to find this pig, the problem of wild pigs continues to grow in Western Canada.

“We are now starting to see them in more diverse habitats and really spreading and starting to occupy a diversity of habits,” explained Mathieu Pruvot an assistant professor at the University of Calgary.

Squeal On Pigs is giving out cell cameras, bait, and corral traps for free, to capture not only this pig but also other wild pigs.

“They can breed very quickly in the wild. They can have two litters a year with anywhere between four and eight piglets per litter,” said Lees.

Once this particular pig is found, it will be euthanized.

“They are spreading geographically quite fast. It’s quite important to get on top of this issue before they multiply much more,” said Pruvot.