Farmers and contractors in Queensland say feral pig numbers have exploded to levels not seen in a decade, and they are turning to high-tech methods to control them.
Key points:
- Drought-breaking rain has lead to most feral pigs farmers have seen in a decade.
- Some chemical control methods may soon be banned.
- A trial of a trap from the USA that is suspended in the air has shown promising results.
Warning: This article contains an image some people may find distressing
In the cane fields and mango orchards of the Wide Bay and Burnett, farmers have turned to technology imported from the USA to try to put a dent in the booming population.
Avocado and mango farmer John Warren said before this year, he had never seen a feral pig at his farm at Gin Gin, south-west of Bundaberg.
“This season is the first time we’ve actually seen feral pigs … up on this hill,” he said.
He said the damage the pests were causing to his farm was extensive.
“They eat all the fruit that’s dropped, damage the irrigation, they make deep holes in the inter-rows that makes it dangerous for cherry pickers and tractors,” he said.
Almost more pigs than people
The sudden spike in numbers comes down to the weather, according to pest specialist Darren Marshall.
“The population really booms and busts based on droughts and floods,” he said.
Mr Marshall monitors feral pigs for Southern Queensland Landscapes, and estimates the national population could be as high as 24 million and is growing rapidly.
Mr Marshall said the cost of repairing the damage done was huge, which is why farmers used a range of control methods to bring the numbers down.
“It’s expensive,” he said.
“It’s labour. it’s running around checking irrigation, filling up holes again, getting it all fixed and then two nights later, it’s damaged again.”
On the front lines of the fight are people like Glen English, who runs a pest control business eradicating problem pigs.
He said it was clear the animals were taking advantage of the good season, based on birth rates he had observed.
It comes as the Queensland government proposes to ban the use of readily available poisons used in feral pig control over animal welfare concerns, a move that has been criticised by industry.
Smart pests, smarter tech
Aside from the overwhelming numbers, controlling feral pigs is also complicated by the animals’ intelligence.
They quickly learn the location and mechanisms of traps, warn each other, and even teach new generations how to avoid the dangers.
“I’ve had sows and boars, older ones that have been educated previously on the outside of a traditional trap, sounding off and causing a kerfuffle just to draw the other pigs away from the trap,” trapper Glen English said.
He is one of only a few Australians testing new trapping technology based on the idea that pigs do not look up.
“Traditional traps would be either panels or star pickets with mesh [fencing],” he said.
“This new trap is fully suspended. It sits up in the air, then drops over them when they go to the bait.”
The trial of the trap, which is supported by CQUniveristy and the Bundaberg AgTech Hub, was already showing promising results.
Rather than taking up to two weeks to condition the pigs to a traditional trap, Mr English has been able to catch pigs in as little as three days.
“I got 33 in one go,” he said.
Catching so many at once also reduces the chance for the old pigs to pass on any new tricks.
“This new one allows me to bypass any pre-education that they’ve had from other traps they might have seen in the past,” he said.
“Because it’s fully suspended, they can access the bait in the centre from any direction and it just drops on top of them.
“It means I can catch more pigs in less time.”
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