Ontario isn't immune and Grey and Bruce Counties are proof. Feral pigs are turning up in Ontario Counties and they pose a serious risk to farms and wildlife.

Feral pigs have been a headline problem in parts of the United States for decades, and Western Canada has seen expanding populations in recent years. But Ontario, including reports and photos shared on local hunting and community pages showing groups of feral pigs in the Grey and Bruce county region is not immune. Even if Ontario does not yet have large, self-sustaining populations everywhere, the province continues to receive dozens of credible wild-pig reports each year and has active programs to detect and remove animals before they become established. (Ontario)

Below I explain why feral pigs matter to the environment and to pork producers, what diseases they can help spread, and which provincial and national efforts you can use to report sightings or help stop the spread.

Why feral pigs are bad news (short version)

• They root, wallow and browse, destroying crops, damaging soil structure, wetlands and native plant communities, and harming habitat for birds and other wildlife. (invadingspecies.com)
  

• They reproduce quickly. A single sounder can grow fast; young sows can produce multiple litters per year, making containment difficult once a self-sustaining population establishes. (PMC)
  

• They create conflicts with people: they damage fences, gardens and pastures, and may become aggressive when cornered or habituated to human food. (invadingspecies.com)

  
  

The risk to pork producers: disease transmission is the headline threat

Feral pigs can carry and spread a suite of pathogens and parasites that threaten domestic swine and other animals. The most worrisome foreign animal disease is African swine fever (ASF), a devastating viral disease of pigs with no effective vaccine widely available and extremely high mortality in naïve populations. Feral pigs and wild boar are susceptible to ASF and can act as reservoirs or vectors that spread infection across a landscape, contaminating feed, water, pastures and farm equipment. Transmission can occur by direct contact, contaminated feed or fomites (boots, vehicles, equipment), and scavenging of infected carcasses. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and other national bodies treat wild pigs as a key risk pathway for ASF preparedness and prevention. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

Other diseases of concern that feral pigs can carry or amplify include classical swine fever, leptospirosis, brucellosis, and a range of parasitic and bacterial infections, all of which raise animal-health, trade and economic risks for the pork sector.

How sightings in local social groups matter

Community posts, hunting group photos and local reports, like the images you mentioned on a Grey/Bruce hunting page, are exactly the sort of early warnings provincial programs rely on. Even single observations matter: escaped or released domesticated pigs can form transient groups, and those small groups are the seeds that can grow into established, damaging populations if not detected and removed. Ontario’s Ministry monitors reports and investigates suspected occurrences; action taken while numbers are small is what prevents larger, long-term problems. (Ontario)

What Ontario (and Canada) already has in place

There is a layered set of programs and plans aimed at early detection, reporting, removal and public awareness:

• Ontario’s wild-pig strategy & annual reporting. The province published a strategic plan to address invasive wild pigs and produces annual reports summarizing sightings, investigations and removals. These reports show the province is actively tracking incidents and removing animals when found. (Ontario Files)
  

• Wild Pig Surveillance and community programs. The Invading Species Awareness Program and partners run a Wild Pig Surveillance Program that distributes surveillance kits, encourages trail cameras, and trains volunteers to document and report sightings. This community surveillance has helped surface many of the reports the ministry investigates. (invadingspecies.com)
  

• National coordination and resources. Animal Health Canada and federal partners are coordinating a national approach (the Invasive Wild Pig Strategy) and recently helped launch centralized resources (Wild Pigs Canada) to support reporting, awareness and coordinated action across provinces. This national coordination aims to strengthen ASF preparedness and landscape-scale removal efforts. (animalhealthcanada.ca)
  

• CFIA / federal disease preparedness. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has clear guidance for producers, hunters and the public on preventing ASF and other swine diseases — including hygiene measures, reporting requirements, and what to do if you find sick or dead wild pigs. Hunters are specifically asked to avoid contact with farms for 14 days after encountering or harvesting wild pigs and to keep gear and clothing clean. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

  
  

What producers, hunters and the public should do (practical steps)

If you farm, hunt, or spend time outdoors in areas like Grey and Bruce counties (or anywhere in Ontario), here’s what to do now:

1. Report sightings immediately. Ontario encourages reporting via the Invading Species Hotline or the wild pig email/hotline listed on provincial pages (the provincial reporting contact is wildpigs@ontario.ca and hotlines are listed on provincial resources and national sites). Prompt reports let biologists investigate and, where needed, remove animals before they spread. (animalhealthcanada.ca)
   

2. Follow biosecurity strictly on farms. Close gates, limit visitor access, clean and disinfect vehicles, boots and equipment after being outdoors, and do not allow contact between livestock and unknown animals. Producers should assume wildlife can carry pathogens and design biosecurity accordingly. CFIA ASF guidance lists specific producer steps and risk-mitigation practices. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
   

3. Hunters: observe extra caution. If you encounter wild pigs or harvest them, report the animal, keep equipment and clothing clean, avoid bringing carcasses near farms, and consider a 14-day buffer before visiting domestic pig operations as recommended by national authorities. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
   

4. Do not move or release pigs. Releasing unwanted pigs (including pot-bellied pets or older animals) creates risk. Similarly, transporting feral pigs between areas spreads the problem. In many jurisdictions releasing or owning wild boar/feral swine is illegal or highly restricted. (The Statehouse News Bureau)

   
   

Why early action matters

Ontario’s annual reports show that when authorities act on individual reports, investigating, removing animals, and engaging the public, the province can prevent small incursions from becoming entrenched populations that are far harder and costlier to control. That’s why community awareness (including social-media posts and local hunter reports) are constructive when they lead to formal reporting, not panic or recreational “shoot and post” behaviour that can make pigs more elusive and harder to trap. (Ontario)

Bottom line

Feral pigs are a clear and present risk to Ontario’s environment and to the provincial pork sector. Photos and posts from local hunting groups, like those from Grey and Bruce, are a reminder that vigilance matters. The good news: Ontario and national partners have surveillance, reporting and removal programs, and producers and hunters can play an immediate role by following biosecurity guidance and reporting sightings quickly.

If you’ve got photos or exact locations of recent sightings, report them to the provincial contacts (wildpigs@ontario.ca / Invading Species Hotline) and consider sending the images to local conservation officers or the Invading Species Centre so they can be investigated. Rapid, accurate reporting is the single best tool we have to keep feral pigs from becoming a larger problem here at home. (animalhealthcanada.ca)

Sources and further reading

• Ontario — Annual Report on Invasive Wild Pig Sightings: 2023–2024. (Ontario)

• Ontario’s wild pig strategic plan (2021). (Ontario Files)

• Invading Species Awareness Program — Wild Pig Surveillance Program. (invadingspecies.com)

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency — African swine fever and hunter guidance. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

• Animal Health Canada / Wild Pigs Canada — national coordination and resources. (animalhealthcanada.ca)