Feral Pig

Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)

Report

Management Category

Synonyms

Feral pigs are also known as:

Wild boar
Wild swine
Wild pig
Wild hog
Feral swine

Feral hog
Eurasian wild boar
Razorback
Piney-woods rooter
Poor man’s grizzly

Wild boar
Wild swine
Wild pig
Wild hog
Feral swine
Feral hog
Eurasian wild boar
Razorback
Piney-woods rooter
Poor man’s grizzly

ID Characteristics

General: Feral pigs include any pigs that are not in captivity, or under a person’s control. Feral pigs include escaped domestic breeds, Eurasian wild boards, and hybrids of the two.

Adults: Feral pigs resemble domestic pigs, but have coarse hair and may have tusks. Adult males weigh between 60 and 200 kg, while females are a bit smaller (between 35 and 150 kg). Adults stand about 1 m tall at the shoulders.

Piglets: Young feral pigs are born with prominent stripes running down their backs. The stripes fade after the piglets reach four months old.

Similar Species

Domestic pigs (photo credit: Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)

Feral pigs may be confused with domestic pigs, since the distinction is subtle.

If pigs are not in captivity or are not otherwise under a person’s control, they are considered feral. If in doubt about ownership, we recommend you check with local farmers.

Habitat and Origin

Feral pigs originate from either domestic pigs that escaped captivity, or Eurasian wild boards native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. Feral pigs were introduced to North America for both farming and hunting.

This species is adaptable and can thrive in many habitats, climates and elevations. Feral pigs have been found in rangelands, moist forests and wetlands, as well as from sea level to altitudes of up to 2400 m.

Diet

Feral pigs are opportunistic omnivores: they will eat whatever is available, including vegetation, fungi, reptiles, eggs of ground-nesting birds, and small mammals.

How They Spread

Female feral pigs bear multiple litters of 10 – 12 piglets each year. The piglets’ survival rate is approximately 50%. Males reach maturity at 7 months, while females reach maturity within a year.

Feral pigs can be spread intentionally for big game hunting, or unintentionally when they escape from farms. Natural disasters may also disrupt existing feral pigs’ ranges, which can trigger further dispersals.

Impacts

Ecological:

Feral pigs are omnivores that prey on many small native species.
They damage local habitats and destroy native flora by trampling them.
They negatively impact water quality and can transmit pathogens to native species when water sources become contaminated by their feces.

Economic:

Feral pigs damage crops and agricultural land by foraging and trampling.

Health:

Feral pigs carry many diseases (at least 30 viral and bacterial diseases and nearly 40 parasites) that may be transmitted to humans, livestock, pets and other wildlife.

Prevent the Spread

Feral pigs are NOT currently found in the Sea to Sky region, so PREVENTION is key:

Learn to identify Feral pigs: Use the images on this profile page.

What to do if you spot it: You can report any Feral pig sighting by visiting our reporting page.

DO:

To prevent the escape of domestic pigs, ensure adequate fencing and recapture escapees as soon as possible.

DO NOT:

Let domestic pigs roam freely in unfenced areas.
Release pigs into the wild for any reason. Don’t let it loose!

Control

Physical control:

In BC, hunting is the only control measure in place. Feral pigs can only be hunted with a valid hunting license, and harvests must be reported.
However, hunting is not an effective control method because it may lead to further dispersal, or cause harm to the hunters themselves.

Integrated control:

In Saskatchewan, some success has been found with coordinated harvest by trained teams, capture with ground traps, aerial capture with a net gun, adding a GPS collar to a feral pig to locate more individuals (also known as a Judas pig), and the use of more durable fencing.