Then there were 2: More wild boars on the run in Yukon shot dead
The small herd of wild boars running loose west of Whitehorse is now even smaller, according to the Yukon government.
Territorial officials said Wednesday that four more of the animals have been tracked down by their owner, and shot dead. Another was killed earlier this week, meaning that just two of the original seven escapees are still at large.
According to Jesse Devost, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, the farmer is still working to round up the last fugitives.
"The farmer has designed a special pen with the hope to lure the animals back in," Devost said. "There's been sightings of the boars near the pens every day, so they've not strayed far from the farm."
The original group of seven restless swine made a break for it about six weeks ago, in the Mendenhall area west of Whitehorse. Government officials tried for weeks to hunt them down, but the pigs proved elusive.
Then last week, the farmer responsible was told to round them up or face penalties. The first boar was killed earlier this week; four more have been killed since.
The government wants to ensure no pigs are left running wild. Experts say the animals are an invasive species that can be dangerous to people and damaging to landscapes and ecosystems.
