Group of wild boars roaming in Pickering, Ont. might be cause for concern, officials say

Group of wild boars spotted roaming in Pickering (Courtesy of Mary Delaney)

TORONTO — A sounder of wild boars spotted roaming the Pickering area this week are being treated as a “potential problem” by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry due to their invasive nature.

The division head of public affairs at the City of Pickering, Mark Guinto, told CTV News Toronto on Sunday that, at last count, there were 14 Eurasian wild boars roaming in the area.

“They're an invasive species, so right now, it's the [Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry] that's handling the situation,” Guinto said. “They do recognize it as a potential problem.”

According to Guinto, the Ministry is planning to bait and capture the boars.

CTV News Toronto has reached out to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for comment.

Pickering resident Mary Delaney spotted the boars on Monday morning.

“My husband saw them in our yard,” Delaney told CTV News Toronto on Sunday. “They surprised each other in an ‘E.T. meets Elliot in the cornfield’ moment.”

She says she called the Ministry of Natural Resources before driving up the road to view the boars once again.

Delaney says there were “exactly 14” boars at the time of her spotting.

The province of Ontario defines a wild pig as “any pig that is not contained or under the physical control of a person,” including loose, domesticated pigs, Eurasian wild boars or a hybrid of the two.

“Wild pigs are not native to Ontario and can have a negative impact on native wildlife and ecosystems,” the province advises. “They have high reproductive potential which means that populations can increase in number and spread rapidly, making their impacts more severe.”

According to the Ministry, such impacts include preying upon native plants and wildlife, competing with native wildlife for food, water, and space, damaging the ground with their tusks, impacting water quality, spreading disease and aggressive behaviour.

If you spot a wild boar, the Ministry asks that you report the sighting at [e-mail] or 1-833-933-2355.