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Lamont County Launches Wild Boar Surveillance Program
Lamont County Launches Wild Boar Surveillance Program
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Lamont County is launching a wild boar surveillance program. Installation and monitoring of cameras will be completed by Nick Gallagher, a camera project specialist.
Jay Zaal, Lamont County Communications Coordinator, stated that: “The program is being done in partnership with Alberta Pork and Alberta Invasives. This program is funded through Agriculture and Irrigation grants from these organizations for Lamont County and three adjacent municipalities—with no additional cost to Lamont County.”
A total of 26 cameras will be installed throughout Lamont County. Zaal noted that, "Monitoring and professional programs are the best way to control and eradicate wild boars. Hunting is not an effective solution because these pests are adaptive to their environment. Wild pigs can be quite destructive to areas, and monitoring and coordinating a solution with the Government of Alberta, Alberta Pork and Alberta Invasives is the best way to ensure the appropriate controls are in place.
Lamont County is appreciative of the support this program and partnerships brings to control these pests. This nine-month program of monitoring and strategy will help control this population and limit the damage caused by this invasive animal for farms, property and the ecosystem.”
He added that, “Sightings in Lamont County are being monitored, and due to confidentiality and control measures this cannot be reported at this time, but all sightings should be reported to Lamont County or more directly: 310-FARM. Specific locations cannot be listed for privacy concerns, and to limit potential hunting because wild boars are smart and adapt to dangers, making it harder to control if they are hunted and missed.”
The Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC) is a not for profit society dedicated to informing and educating Albertans about the destructive impacts invasive special have on the environment, economy and society.
According to AISC, there are 28 counties with confirmed sightings of wild boar. They can reproduce multiple times a year, between five and 12-months-old, with litters of six piglets. Wild boar at large can host 89 different disease that can be transmitted to livestock, wildlife and humans.
Signs of wild boar include:
· Digging/rooting
· Wallowing/rolling
· Hair on barbed wire
· Trampled crops
· Tracks and Trails
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease would shut down all Alberta port and beef exports and is estimated to cost $65 billion dollars.
