Quebec catches one of two wayward wild boars on the loose since September

MONTREAL — Officials in Quebec say they’ve tracked down and killed one of two escaped wild boars that have been on the loose since at least September.

The Wildlife Department says a team located the female boar in an abandoned farm building in the Yamachiche area, about 110 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

The government has been searching for the two boars ever since they were first spotted in the area on Sept. 17, and had asked the public to help track them down.

Boars in the wild are considered an invasive species, and the government says they can damage crops and ecosystems, harm native animal species and spread parasites and diseases.

A spokeswoman for the Wildlife Department says the animals are believed to have escaped from a facility in the area.

She adds that the meat from the captured boar will be given to community organizations, and that the search for the second missing boar is ongoing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2024.

The Canadian Press