Feral wild boar distribution and perceptions of risk on the central Canadian prairies

Feral wild boar (Sus scrofa) are rapidly expanding their distribution and abundance globally and causing considerable socio-economic impacts. Prior to this study, the spatial distribution of feral boar on the Canada prairies was largely unknown. We surveyed all 296 rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, Canada, to determine the distribution of feral boar in the province and characterize community leader perceptions of risk. Of the respondents, over the past 3 years 48% never saw feral boar, 48% saw them at least occasionally, and 3% responded “I don't know,” indicating a few respondents were not confident in saying feral boar were present or absent. Feral boar were observed across a range of habitats, in all months, and at all times of day. Variables that best predicted the distribution of feral boar included % farmland (β = 6.46), % flaxseed crop (β = −8.63), density of paved roads (β = −1.92), % deciduous forest (β = 5.93), and % mustard seed crop (β = −12.63). Mapping the resource selection probability function (RSPF) across the landscape of rural Saskatchewan predicted 70% of municipalities had RSPF >0.7 (high probability of boar presence) and 12% had RSPF <0.3 (low probability of boar presence). At the scale of the individual municipalities, responses about management actions were positively associated with frequency of feral boar observations, whereas questions about the province as a whole were consistently positive regardless of frequency of feral boar observations. Control efforts in Canada are sporadic and limited in scope and scale, but the current distribution of feral boar in Saskatchewan, in combination with the life-history strategy of the species, indicates that aggressive and coordinated action is required. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.