Farms.com Home   News

Canadian ‘super pigs’ threaten to invade US

Amass of Canadian ‘super pigs’ are threatening to breach the US border, but northern states are putting tactics in place to stop this wild hog invasion.

Super pigs have appeared in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in Canada after crossbreeding between different pig species created their super-swine form.

The pigs have been destroying crops and degrading water quality, but there is no stopping these feral hogs as they also can breed excessively and continue to multiply in their masses, according to the University of Saskatchewan.

“Wild pigs are ecological train wrecks. They are prolific breeders, making them an extremely successful invasive species,” said Ruth Aschim, a PhD student from the university who led research on the super pig species.

The researchers called the mutant wild pigs “the most prolific invasive mammal in Canada.”

The US already has a massive issue with feral hog populations, costing landowners billions each year in crop and land destruction, so northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana are taking action to stop the super pigs encroaching on US territory.

Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan and expert on the growing super pig population, said that Montana has already banned raising and transporting wild pigs into the state.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey


In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.