Canadian super pigs pose agricultural risk in the U.S.

Feral pigs are intelligent, adaptable and eat a wide variety of foods, with no natural predators besides humans. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feral pigs cause approximately $2.5 billion in agricultural damage across the country each year.

In recent reports, the Canadian super pig – a hybrid of wild boar and domestic pig – are wreaking havoc along the U.S.-Canadian border and are posing a threat to bordering states, as pork producers and regulators worry about the potential destruction and disease these animals could bring if they were to establish a population in the U.S.

Canadian super pig

University of Saskatchewan Department of Animal and Poultry Science Professor Dr. Ryan Brook has been studying super pigs and warning producers and landowners of their destruction since 2010.

“They are the worst invasive large mammal on the planet. Period,” Brook told Insider Science late last year. “No question, there are a lot of them. It’s kind of alarming just how many pigs there are around us right now.”

Brook notes swine are not native to North America. European settlers introduced the first pigs to the continent in the 1500s.

“Canada didn’t have a significant domestic swine population until the 1980s,” Brook states.  “In order to produce bigger, longer animals, Canadian farmers began breeding domestic pigs with wild boars to create a hybrid.”

According to Brook, hybrids established populations in the wild in the early 2000s. In some cases, farmers released them due to economic hardship during Canada’s droughts of 2001-02.

“These animals got all the benefits of the wild boar – extra-long legs, long snout and, especially, their fur,” he adds. “They have a huge advantage of being big with the ability to stay warm, which is really important in cold environments to survive.”

Brook continues, “Wild pigs have even learned to burrow in the snow and line their tunnels with cattails for insulation.”

Moving closer

Currently, Brook runs the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project, which studies the ecology and distribution of wild pigs.

In 2002, Brook and his team recorded zero wild pig sightings in Canada. Then the population took off, and over the past two decades, his team has logged nearly 60,000 wild pig sightings in three Canadian provinces including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“The actual number of wild pigs is difficult to estimate due to the wide geographic distribution, low population density and lack of resources available to researchers,” Brook states. “But, there is a legitimate concern of them entering the U.S.”

A study published by the Biological Invasions Journal in June 2024 says researchers used data from GPS collars on feral pigs to follow their movement patterns and determine their invasion potential. 

They discovered feral pigs were mostly located in forests, fields of crops and wetlands, and the pigs’ preferences for habitat indicated areas in northeastern Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and western parts of Minnesota as areas in the U.S. which are most vulnerable to super pig occupation.

“Our work highlights a need for monitoring and science-based response strategies for the likely southward spread of this invasive species to prevent or reduce potential crop damage, risks to native species and disease transmission to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife,” the researchers state.

Recently, it’s been reported the Canadian super pig has been detected roaming within 40 miles of the Minnesota border. 

Possible damage

Brook explains wild pigs have become so difficult to eradicate because their biology makes them very hard to get rid of, as they reproduce faster than they can be controlled.

“They will eat anything to survive, and they will tear up land and reproduce quickly, with devastating consequences to ranchers and farmers,” he mentions. 

“As these populations get bigger and bigger, we’re going to see more crop damage,” he adds. 

In recent years, wildlife officials in North and South Dakota have documented some occurrences of feral pigs which likely appear to have come from Canada, but so far, none have been able to establish a permanent population in the northern U.S.

Montana has joined the hunt for the Canadian super pig and has launched a “Squeal on Pigs” campaign, urging anyone who has seen feral swine to alert officials. 

According to Brook, the pigs can grow to well over 600 pounds, thrive in various landscapes and eat just about anything.

 He mentions, “They prey on native species like frogs and salamanders and the nests of ground-nesting birds, like ducks and geese.”

 The super pigs will feast on most agricultural crops using their noses to root directly into the dirt and tear up the ground, leaving a trail of destruction.

The exposed ground, in turn, makes it easier for invasive plant species to move in, and the topsoil takes much longer to recover. 

 Early detection and rapid response is critical in eradicating this species, because invasions are more manageable when populations are small and geographically restricted.

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.