New campaign encourages B.C. to ‘squeal’ on invasive pigs

In this Feb. 18, 2009 file photo, feral pigs roam near a Mertzon, Texas ranch. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

British Columbia’s Invasive Species Council says the province needs to get ahead of the potential risk of feral pigs before they gain a foothold the way they have elsewhere in Canada.

Executive Director Gail Wallin said Wednesday the animals reproduce quickly, can withstand winter, and are known to do significant environmental damage.

“They’re rooters. They’ll destroy your crops or your wetlands or whatever lands are really important for other native species,” she said, adding that they also have the potential to spread disease.

A new awareness campaign is encouraging British Columbia residents to “squeal” on the pigs by reporting when they are spotted. 

The campaign features pigs in places they shouldn’t be — grocery stores, tractors, and kitchen cupboards — and asks people to act if they see any in real life.

Wallin said that the council has spent the last year working on resources for local governments and pork producers, as well as things like kids’ activity books, to support the campaign.

She said anyone who spots a pig can report it online through the council’s website, by using an invasive species app or by calling in with information.

She said having a photo of the animal is particularly important.

“If it’s a pig outside a fence, it’s illegal in British Columbia. So, that goes to the province, and the province works out a response,” she said.

An alert posted by the provincial government said feral pigs have been reported in low numbers in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Thompson-Okanagan, Peace, Chilcotin and Kootenay regions. 

It said many were released or escaped from farms but they “have not yet established large populations in the province.”

Wallin said her organization has seen the damage invasive pigs can cause in other provinces, and it’s a growing concern. 

“We don’t want that here in British Columbia,” she said.

“We want to catch them when they’re still in their early stages, and prevent new ones from coming in.”

Wild boars that aren’t being raised as livestock are considered an invasive species in Alberta and are a provincially regulated “agricultural pest.”

The government of Alberta has says the pigs can compete with wildlife and destroy other sensitive natural habitats. 

The Alberta Invasive Species Council says that while there are no Canadian estimates, agricultural damage in the United States caused by wild boar at large is estimated to be $1.5 billion each year.

This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published June 25, 2025