Group of wild boars roaming in Pickering, Ont. might be cause for concern, officials say
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.
Wild boars spotted roaming in Pickering (Courtesy of Mary Delaney)
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 wildpigs@ontario.ca or 1-833-933-2355.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.