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The Northwest Territories is asking residents to “squeal on pigs” after a wild pig sighting was reported just north of the Alberta border.
The possible sighting occurred on Sunday near the 60th Parallel Territorial Park on Highway 1. It was made public on the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Facebook page a day later.
Wild pigs are considered an invasive species.
For years, concern has been expressed that the pigs are progressing farther north in Alberta, toward the NWT border. But there have been no confirmed sightings within the territory.
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Previously, researchers have warned of “devastating” consequences should the pigs cross the southern border. They destroy agriculture, spoil woodlands, and prey on other species like ground-nesting birds and deer. They also spread diseases to established populations.
“They’re the most dangerous invasive animal on the planet,” Ryan Brook, a University of Saskatchewan professor and head of the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project, told Cabin Radio two years ago.
That fall, conservation flights mounted by the NWT government found the border to be pig-free.
Even so, the territory has rolled out legislation declaring the animals pests, meaning they can be killed on sight without a licence.
“If you spot a wild pig anywhere in the Northwest Territories please remember: SQUEAL ON PIGS,” the Department of Environment and Climate Change wrote on Monday, adding capital letters for emphasis.
If you spot a pig, the department can be reached by email.
