Friday, January 16th, 2015
Volume 78 • No. 35
the OBSERVER
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Wild boar study in Moose Mountains expected to help map their population in Saskatchewan
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Stoughton awaits decision – page 2
Kruise Reddick will wear the Maple Leaf – page 6
Staff photo by Kelly Running
The Wild Boar project to capture and track feral pigs has a base of operations in the Moose Mountains. Here grad student, Ryan Powers, stands next to a corral trap which will be used in capturing the wild boar. He is also holding a telemetry collar which will be fastened onto the feral swine to gather information in order to create a comprehensive map regarding wild boar in Saskatchewan. By Kelly Running In Saskatchewan wild boar were introduced for agricultural diversification, but as the animals escaped it was soon realized that introducing them into the area was not a good idea. Originally it was thought that any that escaped would succumb to the elements, our harsh winters would be their demise, but one of their natural habitats includes the cold temperatures of Russia and the animals actually began to thrive. Wild boars are now only recently being studied for a University of Saskatchewan project led by Dr. Ryan Brook, while the wild feral pigs had spurred a local eradication committee over a decade ago. Local effects of wild boar and efforts to eradicate them Local rancher and member of the Moose Mountain Wild Boar Eradication Committee, Bob Brickley, explained, “The situation started about 14 years ago when the first wild boar were introduced into this area. The boars would do crop damage and terrorize domestic livestock, so local producers started to deal with it independently like most other problems they have, but it became evident we
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needed an organized effort to eradicate them.” As a rancher, Brickley, said, “Our biggest challenge has been our animals. We had a quarter section of swaths for grazing… wild boar foraged the crop and they’re not like elk, deer, or moose, they root it up and work across the field unless you do something about it. There’s no salvaging it; the cattle won’t graze there because of the urine and manure. Everything avoids them.” “It was apparent there was agricultural damage, but the wild boars were cleaning nests out of birds, ducks and song birds too, so it’s something that needs to be taken seriously.” With help from the Wawota Wildlife Federation the eradication committee was created. Since they began the program they came to a point, three different times, where they thought the Moose Mountains were cleared of the wild boar, but it has not lasted. Wild boars are particularly resilient animals with no natural predators in Canada.
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Paige Lawrence named Athlete Ambassador – page 7
RCMP report – page 15
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