Efforts to control and eliminate wild pigs in Manitoba are showing measurable progress, with increased collaboration and improved trapping success driving results in 2025.
According to the latest Year in Review from Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, the province’s coordinated approach to managing invasive wild pig populations continues to gain traction. The initiative—launched in 2022 through a partnership between Manitoba Pork and federal and provincial governments—has steadily expanded its reach and effectiveness.
At the center of that progress is growing public engagement.
Dr. Wayne Lees, Coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, emphasizes that producer and public reporting remains the foundation of the program’s success.
“We continue to get really good collaboration with the public on reporting sightings of wild pigs. That’s one of the first ways that we learn where wild pigs are in the environment, so that’s a really important part.”
Once sightings are reported—either through the program’s website or toll-free hotline—teams follow up directly with landowners to confirm activity and assess the situation on the ground.
From there, a structured response takes place:
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Site verification and landowner coordination
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Establishment of baiting locations
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Deployment of trapping systems
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Removal of entire sounders (groups of pigs)
This coordinated approach is delivering tangible results.
“Our success has been going up. This last year we’ve trapped 206 wild pigs,” said Lees. “We’ve removed that number from the population.”
More Than Population Control: Protecting Herd Health
Beyond reducing environmental and agricultural damage, the program also plays a critical role in disease surveillance—particularly in safeguarding Canada’s pork sector from African Swine Fever (ASF).
Each animal removed is sampled as part of an ongoing monitoring effort.
“When we remove those pigs, we also take samples for African Swine Fever. This is a big part of our surveillance to make sure that we’re proving to the world that we don’t have that disease.”
This proactive surveillance reinforces Canada’s biosecurity position and supports international confidence in pork exports—an increasingly important factor in global trade.
A Model Built on Collaboration
One of the defining elements of the Manitoba strategy is its reliance on coordination rather than isolated control efforts.
The program provides producers and rural residents with:
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Real-time mapping of wild pig activity
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Clear identification tools for signs and sightings
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Direct reporting channels for rapid response
This “community-driven intelligence” model is helping teams stay ahead of wild pig movement and respond more efficiently.
Why It Matters for Producers
Wild pigs remain a growing concern across North America, posing risks that extend beyond crop damage:
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Disease transmission (including ASF risk pathways)
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Environmental degradation
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Biosecurity breaches for commercial operations
Manitoba’s results highlight an important takeaway for the broader industry: structured, coordinated removal strategies—combined with strong public engagement—can make a measurable impact.
As pressure from invasive species and disease threats continues to evolve, programs like Squeal on Pigs Manitoba are becoming increasingly relevant models for regional and national response strategies.
