pest animal management - naturalresources.sa.gov.au
TRANSCRIPT
KI Feral Animal Program
Australian Government Funded• Eradication of goats and fallow deer
• Pig control in the South West river catchment (Grassdale area)
• Implement and improve pig management across land tenures.
• Increase cat management awareness and trial new feral cat control devices when available
• Trial peacock eradication
Legislation
Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)
• Category 3 pest:
» Sec 179- Offence to release animals or plants
» Sec 181 (1) Requirement to control certain animals or plants (keeping of any animal of that class on that land in captivity)
• No legal requirement for landholders to control feral pigs in SA
• Pros and cons of strengthening legislation (Sec 182)?
Population trends of feral pigs
• Rick Southgate dam print and remote camera surveys
• 50 forestry properties surveyed from 2008 to 2013 with 398 dams sampled multiple times.
• Pig occupancy on properties was found to be dynamic.
» Pig occurrence remained relatively static
» Colonization occurred in some properties
» Extinction occurred in others
» Control efforts, food sources and water?
What's Been Done: Feral Pig Control KI
• Public meetings: 1985 to 2011
• Landholder surveys 1984, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2009
• Feral Pig reports developed from 1984 to 2011; including ‘Managing feral pigs KI 2011’
• KI field day and show day displays
• 11 pig bait (hog gone/pig out) and delivery system (boar buffet/hog hopper/tubes) trials: 2003 to 2011
• Population genetic analysis of wild pigs KI
• Judas pig trial
• Long history of trapping programs, including National Parks & Wildlife 1998
What's Been Done: Feral Pig Control KI
• Pig trapping guide
• Pig control flow chart
• Pig traps available for loan to landholders
• Population trends of feral pigs KI 2008 to 2013 (Rick Southgate’s annual dam print/camera survey)
• Coordinated land holder pig control programs
• On reserve trapping program
• Grassdale (South West River control program)
• Feasibility trial on feral pig eradication
• Feral pig management plan 2008 to 2012
Judas Pigs
• The use of Judas pigs has been trialled in other areas with mixed results.
• Feral pigs are caught and fitted with a radio tracking device.
• The Judas pigs are released and tracked on regular occasions.
• Any feral pig located with the Judas animal are shot, leaving the Judas animal to join up with other pigs so the process can be repeated.
• In 2010 the KINRMB conducted a Judas pig trial in Grassdale Conservation Park to evaluate its use as a pig control technique on KI.
Judas Pigs for control
• Three park closures were arranged.
• The pigs were hunted on foot by KINRMB employees. Four radio collared pigs were located within the 800 ha trial zone
• 22 Pigs were removed during two hunting periods, none of which were located using Judas pigs.
Judas Pigs
• Three pigs used in the Judas Pig trial had enough data to map; they used an average of 230 ha over the 4-6 month period with an average maximum distance between locations of 3.6 km.
• This was much smaller than that found on the mainland, probably due to abundant food and water providing their needs in a small area.
• 3 of the 4 collared pigs stayed around their ‘home’ area, but one pig was located 8 km from its original capture point.
PIGOUT Baiting Trials 2010
• 28 trial sites on public lands within areas of high pig densities.
• Trial was duplicated in dry and wet conditions within the same year
• Sites were free fed to attract pigs, and then non-poisonous baits were laid and monitored with motion activated cameras.
PIGOUT Baiting Trials 2010
• In April a total of 19 pigs approached the baits on 8 of the 28 trial sites. Only 3 pigs consumed baits.
• In August a total of 13 pigs approached the baits on 7 of the 28 trial sites. Only 1 pig consumed the baits
• No significant difference between seasons. (16% and 7% respectively).
PIGOUT Baiting Trials 2010
A total of 4 pigs consumed baits during the trial
Off target species included:
• 47 possums
• 4 kangaroos
• 4 cats
• 4 rodents
• 2 wallabies
• 2 ravens
PIGOUT Baiting Trials 2010
Problems with PIGOUT:
• Non-target animals eating bait.
• Baits taken by non-target animals before pigs get a chance to consume.
• Pigs do not initially identify baits as food and need free feeding with grain.
• Very expensive $8.00 per toxic bait $2.00 per non-toxic
Boar Buffet Trials
• 4 Buffet trials in areas with high pig densities on forestry, public lands, and private farm lands
• Boar Buffets were set up for 42 days
• 2 motion sensor cameras were positioned on each site to monitor pig and non target animal behaviours
• All other trapping and hunting activities within the property were stopped.
• Soaked grain was used to attract pigs with the doors open and then non-poisonous baits were laid and monitored
• Once the pigs were feeding freely the doors were closed
Boar Buffet Trials
Problems with the Boar Buffet :
• Pigs took a long time to get used to the device.
• Juvenile pigs were easier to lure, older pigs did not feed from the Buffet
• Pigs needed soaked grain and baits to encourage feeding
• Pigs removed the baits from the buffet and spread them around allowing non targets to eat the baits
• Very labour intensive and very low uptake of the toxic baits
• Easier to trap
Trapping
• Portable NRM pig traps available for loan to landholders
• Officers will deliver traps and assist landholders set up traps effectively
• Passive control method with the ability to trap high numbers
• Time consuming
• Mature pigs can become wary of traps
• All other hunting needs to stop before and during trapping
• Best done when other food sources are not available
• Trapping results are variable
Coordinated Management
• Cross-tenure approach essential
• Regular communications with landholders
• Supportive role only (we don’t have the resources to do all of the work)
Future Directions
Reduce feral pig impacts to acceptable level
• Doing what we can with what we've got!
• Improve Knowledge - Populations, movements, habitat use
• Continue to promote and encourage coordinated control
• Trapping on reserves to support management effort on adjoining private land
• Evaluate success through monitoring
• Trial new technologies and techniques as they become available
What can you do?
Reduce feral pig impacts to acceptable level
• Consider what you are trying to protect
• Work with neighbours and NRKI to coordinate control
• Use NRKI traps and advice to get the most out of your efforts
• Use a variety of control methods (active or passive)
» Trapping, shooting, hunting dogs, attractants
• Is your asset, produce worth fencing?