Invasive species: Could herds of wild pigs spread into Metro Vancouver?

Wild pigs are hardier and craftier than you might think.

Feral pigs might look like a far cry from domesticated swine but the two are more closely related than you think.

Invasive Species Council of BC executive director Gail Wallin tells V.I.A. the Canadian government incentivized farmers in the 1970s to breed their pigs with imported wild boar to create hardier animals. Established wild boars are easily identified by their small tusks, darker colour, and hairy coats. However, not all wild pigs appear wild, and, according to the B.C. government, any pig not on private property is considered a wild or invasive animal.

Once it has escaped, a domestic pig may breed with a wild one or another domestic one and create a "sounder" — a herd of feral pigs or boars. Licensed B.C. hunters may hunt wild swine in areas where it is legal to do so — but this practice may harm efforts to quell emerging populations. Wild pigs are also more aggressive and territorial than domestic ones, posing a risk to humans and other animals.

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