Australia’s feral pig population is continuing to grow rapidly, and large numbers of them are popping up in areas where they have never been seen before.
While it is farmers who bear the brunt of the animals’ destructive presence – with damage caused to crops, pastures and fence lines – the porkers have also been known to cause chaos at bush camping areas across the country. The most famous example was that of Swino, the beer-guzzling party pig whose antics at the De Grey River rest area in WA are the stuff of legend.
While Swino lived fast and died young, the authorities in Western Australia’s south-west are now warning that there is no shortage of feral pigs who may follow in his chaotic footsteps, with the animals’ ability to reproduce at a rapid rate threatening to see the pig population in the area reach the ‘tens of thousands’.
“Traditionally they have been limited to the south-west and pockets of the Great Southern,” Brian Chambers, of the Blackwood Basin Group, told the ABC. “We are now having reports of them appearing further east towards the Wheatbelt. Farmers are finding them in places they’ve never been seen before.”
Feral pigs have the ability to double their population within 18 months. As well as causing damage to property, the pigs have the potential to harbour and spread diseases.
Department of Food and Agriculture, Western Australia development officer, Peter Adams, told the ABC that the problem was not easily dealt with.
“Pigs are very smart and certainly adaptable to a range of circumstances,” he said. “More often than not, if you shoot one, the other nine will disperse over the hill … they’re not necessarily going to move away but they are going to change their habits, and that will make it harder for you to control those pigs in the future.”
He while said farmers and landholders were doing their best to control the spread by baiting, shooting, trapping or fencing the pest, but conceded a broader approach was needed to impact the population.
· Have you come across a feral pig around your camp? Comment below.
THere are plenty of shootingclubs around.
With (normally) fairly responsible and accurate shooters on their books.
Align with someand arrange pigshoots.
named shooters and minimum calibres.
Bonus in left ears. to cover cost of munitions.
That way. you’d have. humane. SAFE pig control.
with plenty of dog\cat food to boot.
Decades ago down South in thegoat epedemics.
the station owner would ask you “what calibre”.
then toss a coupla boxes of whatever at you, saying. go anduse them up
Responsible shooters are SAFE and would do a much better job than anything else I can think of. with lots of pleasure. humane kills and
sensible control of any epedemics that appear.