A breed of massive, furry and ever-hungry “super pigs” have been wreaking ecological havoc across Canada — and their numbers are expected to spike countrywide this year, according to recent monitoring data.
“Wild pigs are the worst invasive, large mammal on the planet. They’re often referred to as an ecological train wreck,” said Ryan Brook, a professor studying the feral hogs with the University of Saskatchewan. “Wherever the pigs go, it looks like a bomb went off. The ground is blown apart.”
Pigs are not native to North America, and the animals are regulated as an invasive species in Ontario. While originally, many of these pigs were either escaped domesticated animals or wild Eurasian boar, Brook says the vast majority of the species in Canada are now a hybrid of the two — what he calls a “super pig,” an enormous, fast-breeding variant that’s well-adapted to the harsh Canadian winters.
Mainly found in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the species has now spread across Canada. While not officially established in Ontario, the province still sees over 100 reports of the animals every year, according to a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
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