Alberta puts bounty on wild pigs
EDMONTON — While it's true a sow's ear can't be made into a silk purse, it might help some people buy one.
As part of an effort to eradicate wild boars roaming through the Alberta wilderness, the provincial government has placed a new bounty on the animals.
In participating municipalities and counties, anyone who kills a boar and brings in its ears as proof will be handed a cheque for $50.
"We'd be happy to keep the population from growing, but the best-case scenario is to eliminate them altogether," said Ed Turco, an inspector with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
"This (bounty) will help with the costs if you're going to spend some time to hunt them, and will hopefully encourage landowners to put a little time and effort into it."
Stray wild boars were officially declared a pest in Alberta earlier this year, putting the animals on par with Dutch elm disease, grasshoppers, potato wart, Norway rats and rabies.
The designation was made because boars are not native to Alberta. The animal was brought here from Europe in the 1990s to be raised for its meat, but some escaped and began multiplying in the wild.
Provincial officials say they're concerned the animals are competing with native herbivores for limited food resources, eating farmers' crops, raiding livestock feed and digging holes. It is not known how many of the animals are currently at large in Alberta, but Turco estimated it could be close to 1,000.
Source: Alberta puts bounty on wild pigs
EDMONTON — While it's true a sow's ear can't be made into a silk purse, it might help some people buy one.
As part of an effort to eradicate wild boars roaming through the Alberta wilderness, the provincial government has placed a new bounty on the animals.
In participating municipalities and counties, anyone who kills a boar and brings in its ears as proof will be handed a cheque for $50.
"We'd be happy to keep the population from growing, but the best-case scenario is to eliminate them altogether," said Ed Turco, an inspector with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
"This (bounty) will help with the costs if you're going to spend some time to hunt them, and will hopefully encourage landowners to put a little time and effort into it."
Stray wild boars were officially declared a pest in Alberta earlier this year, putting the animals on par with Dutch elm disease, grasshoppers, potato wart, Norway rats and rabies.
The designation was made because boars are not native to Alberta. The animal was brought here from Europe in the 1990s to be raised for its meat, but some escaped and began multiplying in the wild.
Provincial officials say they're concerned the animals are competing with native herbivores for limited food resources, eating farmers' crops, raiding livestock feed and digging holes. It is not known how many of the animals are currently at large in Alberta, but Turco estimated it could be close to 1,000.
Source: Alberta puts bounty on wild pigs
