Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on ...
Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on ...
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effort <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs, however <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are having a problem from not<br />
dealing effectively with immigrati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> thus <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>trol efforts are typically<br />
not effective in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>on</strong>g-term. Feral pigs are c<strong>on</strong>trolled in Nati<strong>on</strong>al Parks <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Reserves with integrated programs using some or all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> aerial <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
ground shooting, pois<strong>on</strong>ing (1080, warfarin), <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> trapping. Aerial shooting is<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten much more effective than shooting from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground, provided that it is<br />
used frequently enough <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> a scale sufficient to prevent immigrati<strong>on</strong> or<br />
recovery through breeding. Trapping can be effective but results are variable. It<br />
is used most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten as a follow up after an initial knockdown <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a populati<strong>on</strong>, or<br />
when pois<strong>on</strong>ing is impractical or in c<strong>on</strong>juncti<strong>on</strong> with pois<strong>on</strong>ing. Ground<br />
shooting <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> dogging are not used by NPWS due to ineffectiveness, although in<br />
some jurisdicti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are used opportunistically to follow up after initial knock<br />
down has occurred.<br />
NT – Limited c<strong>on</strong>trol is undertaken in c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> reserves <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Parks using<br />
1080 ground baiting. The Judas pig technique has been used to eradicate small<br />
isolated <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig populati<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past (McIllroy & Gifford 1997). Off-reserve,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are no formalised c<strong>on</strong>trol programs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> many l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>holders invest little in<br />
c<strong>on</strong>trol o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than opportunistic shooting <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> sport hunting. Some baiting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
carcasses with CSSP in cropping areas is also undertaken by l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> managers.<br />
QLD - The c<strong>on</strong>trol methods used for <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs are str<strong>on</strong>gly determined by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market<br />
price for <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig meat. When prices are high, hunting, harvesting <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> trapping<br />
for commercial sale are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> predominant techniques used. In 2001,<br />
approximately 240 000 <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig carcasses were processed. This is supported by<br />
extensive 1080 ground baiting. Queensl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> is also <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>ly state in Australia<br />
where it is legal to aerially bait for pigs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> proves to be an effective measure<br />
for broad-scale c<strong>on</strong>trol. The n<strong>on</strong>-target <str<strong>on</strong>g>impact</str<strong>on</strong>g>s are still somewhat unclear.<br />
When market prices are low, efforts are increased in baiting <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> hunting.<br />
SA - Feral pigs are not overly abundant in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rangel<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> SA, occurring mainly in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> far north <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state. The majority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>trol undertaken is via aerial<br />
shooting in order to cover <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> vast <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> remote l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>scape.<br />
WA – Ground baiting with 1080 laced grain is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most comm<strong>on</strong> form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig<br />
c<strong>on</strong>trol used in WA. Trapping is also frequently used, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> has been <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> primary<br />
c<strong>on</strong>trol method in several cooperative c<strong>on</strong>trol projects (Higgs 2002). Aerial<br />
shooting is used in more remote areas with sparse vegetati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> northwest<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fitzroy river regi<strong>on</strong>s, recreati<strong>on</strong>al hunters have worked<br />
with l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> managers to reduce local <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig numbers though annual shooting.<br />
Management <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rangel<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s<br />
Like o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that have a market value, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pig c<strong>on</strong>trol varies<br />
with community attitudes <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> market prices. The most effective <str<strong>on</strong>g>management</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
techniques for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rangel<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s are aerial shooting <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> aerial baiting. These techniques<br />
allow cost effective c<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> vast <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> remote l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>scape. In more<br />
urban regi<strong>on</strong>s, trapping can be a useful additi<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>trol tool that also allows for<br />
some c<strong>on</strong>trol-cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f-setting. C<strong>on</strong>trol efforts should seek to maximise <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> benefit<br />
from envir<strong>on</strong>mental c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s as much as possible. C<strong>on</strong>trol will be easier <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> more<br />
effective during times <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> drought when <str<strong>on</strong>g>feral</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs are forced to c<strong>on</strong>gregate around a<br />
small number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> when food is scarce. C<strong>on</strong>versely, baiting<br />
campaigns following rain may be ineffective due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> new-growth (‘green stick’)<br />
available to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pigs, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> shooting may be more effective.<br />
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