Officials of the City of Pickering revealed that a group of Eurasian wild boars had been observed moving around the northern part of the area, setting off a search and catch operation that the Ministry of Natural Resources will organize.
Mark Guinto, division head of public affairs for Pickering, revealed that sightings of the wild boars began on November 4 in the city’s northern section. The Ministry of Natural Resources was immediately notified of the said sightings. Guinto added that there are “at least 14 boars” in the group or “sounder” spotted in the area.
Moreover, the City of Pickering is also working with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry to expedite the trapping and removal of the wild boars. Besides potentially causing a lot of damage to the ecosystem, these introduced animals can also quickly multiply and dominate endemic species for food and space.
According to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry, these wild pigs are not native to Ontario. However, they are known to “cause wide-scale devastation to wildlife and ecosystems.” In addition, the Ministry emphasized that these creatures can also cause adverse impacts to Ontario’s agriculture sector, such as spreading various diseases.
While Guinto stressed that they still don’t have an idea where the wild boars came from, he explained that the City of Pickering is in the process of setting up guidelines to phase out the farming of Eurasian Wild Boars in the area by 2024. The said move is due to their potentially harmful effects on the environment should they escape.
The division head of public affairs for Pickering also advised submitting a report to the iNaturalist Ontario Wild Pig Reporting if these animals are spotted.
