Where the wild boar roam? Dozens spotted in Alberta

Wild boars have joined the wildlife roaming parts of Alberta, and officials are warning residents to be careful around the large pigs.

Dozens have been spotted recently in the Jackson Lake area southeast of Sundre and around Lac Ste. Anne, west of Edmonton.

Jeff Holmes, manager of agriculture and park services for Mountain View County, where Sundre is located, told CBC News the boars were brought to the province in the late 1990s for breeding and game farming.

He said the tusked animals are surviving well in the area.

"They tend to root around in agricultural fields and damage crops, and they can also get into stored agricultural feeds. The habitat in the southeast Sundre area, it's willow, muskeg, lot of brush and they do quite well in that kind of environment."

Holmes warned that people must be careful not to provoke the animals.

"They can be dangerous if they're cornered or provoked. Typically, if they have a choice to run, they would probably run first. But if they're cornered or someone stumbles across them, unannounced to them, they can be somewhat aggressive," he said.

Officials are having trouble getting an accurate count of the roaming boars because they are nocturnal, Holmes said.