B.C. hunters have been given a green light to hunt feral pigs throughout the province.
Feral pigs are now designated as “Schedule C” wildlife under the Wildlife Act, which means they can be captured or killed anywhere and at any time in B.C.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations says feral pigs can be a source of infectious diseases and parasites. They can compete with local wildlife for food and can be aggressive.
Feral pigs are invasive animals that have escaped farms. They can be extremely hard to eradicate once established.
The ministry says the animals may pose a threat to the public or a hunter if they are wounded, and a valid hunting licence is required to harvest them properly.
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Conservation Officer Peter Pauwelf, who works on Vancouver Island, said they would be called out to deal with feral pigs if there was a safety concern to the public. The animal would be euthanized, especially now that they have been classified as ‘Schedule C’.
“It’s not something we would consider relocating,” said Pauwelf.
He said previously, the pigs were designated as domestic animals so they could not be hunted. However, they are starting to become very destructive to crops, waterways and wetlands.
BC Wildlife Federation director Al Martin said there is no estimate of feral pigs in the province but they are expanding their range into the U.S.
However feral pigs have been reported in the Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay Regions.
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