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See event listings and more articles in this edition of Agri-News: February 2, 2026 issue
“The wild boar control program had a busy 2025 and we are continuing full steam ahead in 2026,” says Hannah Mckenzie, wild boar specialist with the Alberta government.
“In 2025 we received 72 reports through Squeal on Pigs!: 11 confirmed wild boar or wild boar hybrids, 32 escaped domestic pigs, 10 non-swine, and 19 we were unable to verify. All the confirmed wild boar reports are in known areas where response activities are already underway.”
In August, the 5 professional wild boar trappers transitioned from Alberta Pork and are now contracted directly by Agriculture and Irrigation, with sustainable funding in place for these positions. This puts the control program in a good position to continue responding to reports across the province and following up with control activities where needed. In 2025 the team removed 108 wild boar.
“We could not have done this without the support of landowners who participate in the program by providing access to their land for wild boar control,” says Mckenzie. “Feedback from trappers and landowners suggest we are making good progress towards eradicating wild boar, and we are working with researchers at the University of Calgary to get the data to prove this.”
On December 1, 2025, the government introduced 3 changes to wild boar management to protect the livestock industry, the environment, and animal and human health.
- Wild boar are now a pest in all circumstances, not just when at large. This means it is illegal to keep, import, purchase or otherwise obtain, export, sell or otherwise dispose of or transport live wild boar or wild boar hybrids without a permit. “We are providing options for existing wild boar producers to help them adjust to these changes, including a voluntary exit with compensation, or the continuing to farm wild boar through grandfathering. No new wild boar farms will be permitted.”
- It is also now illegal to hunt or trap wild boar in Alberta, with certain exceptions including for owners and occupants of land and those assisting them to control wild boar on their own land. While hunting is an effective way to manage other wildlife species, it is not an effective way to eradicate wild boar due to their high reproductive rate and behavioural response to hunting pressure including shifting to nocturnal activity, moving to new areas, and becoming more wary and difficult to control. Instead, Alberta is following the accepted best management practices which have been shown to be successful, with a focus on removing whole groups.
- It is mandatory to report all wild boar kills, including the date, location and number of wild boar killed. This information will help us better understand the extent of the problem and to respond in case of a disease outbreak affecting livestock, wildlife or people.
“In 2025 we collaborated with Alberta Pork on initiatives to engage municipalities with wild boar control including providing funding and mentoring support for report follow-up and response, hosting wild boar field tours and supporting municipal participation in proactive monitoring projects,” add Mckenzie. “Municipalities are our most important partners in wild boar control, and we look forward to continuing these initiatives in 2026.”
Mckenzie adds there are some great new wild boar resources available. The Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Report includes a Canadian map showing locations of wild pigs and where field activities are focused as well as information about control programs in other provinces. The new Wild Pigs Canada website provides a central hub for information about wild pigs across Canada including how to identify them, their impacts, and what’s being done in each province and territory.
For more information, see:
Contact
Connect with Hannah Mckenzie for more information:
Email: [email protected]
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