FERAL PIG

This picture comes from Encarta.

PIGS were sent To AUSTRALIA And LET Into The Bush So That People Could Hunt Them For Good FOOD. People Have Been Trying To decrease The PIGS Population Because PIGS Are DESTROYING Farm Land And KILLING Cattle By Digging Up Grass With Their SNOUTs. PIGS Are One OF The Cleanest Animals. Some People Might Find This Hard To Believe Because PIGS Are Always Rolling In Mud.

EATS	EATEN BY
corn barley wheat oats baby lambs eggs and chicks of ducks, swans and ibis.	human baby foxes

Many pigs were introduced by settlers to Australia and New Zealand in the nineteenth century.

FERAL PIGS are equally widespread in New Zealand.

Many PIGS destroy crops such as wheat. They also have TUBERCULOSIS which affects domestic cattle.

Out of all the Feral pests we do have, the biggest problems are the Feral Pigs and Foxes. Pigs do dig up things with their noses and this can destroy native plants and help to bring up weeds and burrs.
They can also do a lot of damage to the wildlife and to young lambs on adjoining properties. Pigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals, and as most of our water birds such as Ducks, Swans and Ibis nest on the ground or close to the ground, pigs can eat their eggs and chicks.
Because of this we in National Parks spend a lot of time and effort controlling pig numbers by trapping and also shooting pigs from helicpoters. We use speically trained shooters and this helps to keep pigs under control and protects the wildlife.
Bye for now. Ranger Ray.