Wild boars are becoming a problem in parts of Saskatchewan – and farmers have had enough.
The boars are raised domestically, but some have escaped, and are attacking cattle. Farmer Francis Kinzie says his cattle near Pike Lake might be in danger from wild boars, especially during spring, when its calving season. Kinzie has shot two boars on his farm in the last few months.
"We shouldn't be shooting em', but what do you do? You're up every three hours, walking out of the house, down to the barn to check cows. What are you going to do if one of these things come running' up behind you?"
Wild boars are considered dangerous strays, regulated under the Stray Animal Act. They have been known to attack people, and livestock. Kinzie say more needs to be done to get rid of them.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's already past our control as it is right now. So it's only gonna get worse."
People started raising boars in Saskatchewan as an extra source of income. But in the coming years, many breeders have left the business. Over time, some boars have escaped, reproduced, and have gone wild.
Some RMs, like Corman Park, have conducted aerial surveys to get an idea of the numbers. Reeve Mel Henry says the boars breed very fast.
"They've got away from private farms and went wild and they multiply at an unbelievably fast pace. And the longer they're out of captivity, the wilder they become."
Since the animals are mostly nocturnal, and intelligent, they're hard to keep track of. The province has given funding to SARM to help control the boars, but so far, there has not been much progress.
The Ministry of Agriculture has approved hunting these boars, as long as the land owners have given permission. There are still 50 boar farms operational in Saskatchewan.
