Thursday, November 18, 2021

Wild boars on loose near Pickering

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is trying to hunt down a group of Eurasian wild boars in the area around Pickering.

Locating and capturing these animals quickly is important, said Morgan Kerekes, a ministry spokesperson. 


“Wild pigs are not native to Ontario and can have a negative impact on native wildlife and ecosystems,” she said.


In fact they root up fields, they multiply fast and in many parts of the world they are speading African Swine Fever.


Pickering residents have seen the wild boars.


The animals have visited Mary Delaney’s yard on two occasions.

“They were outside my kitchen window, four of them, and had been digging up the ground all around our bird feeder,” she told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Monday.


Ontario recently announced a ban on farming wild boar.


As of Jan. 1, the import, possession, transport, propagation, lease, trade, buying and selling of the Eurasian wild boar will be prohibited.


Farmers and owners who have these animals on Jan. 1 will be eligible for a two-year exception period, which expires on Dec. 31, 2023.


The Ministry of Natural Resources said anyone who spots wild pigs is asked to email wildpigs@ontario.ca or call 11-833-933-2355.