Pest Animal Management

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

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.

Judas Pigs

Judas Pigs

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 Sites

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 Bait Consumers

PIGOUT Bait Consumers

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

PIGOUT Baiting Trials 2010

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

Eradication not feasible on KI

Bomford and O’Brien (1995)

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

Trapping

Trapping

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?

Acknowledgements

• KI Natural Resources Management Board members and colleagues

• Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre

• Australian Government

• Friends of Parks KI Western Districts

• Local Volunteer hunters and trackers

• DEWNR

• PIRSA

• Local Landholders