Feral pigs on the rise
ACTION must be taken to deal with feral pigs roaming the Otways, conservationists say.
There has been an expensive investment trying to lessen the damage caused by deer, foxes, cats and rabbits and now feral pigs are set to become the latest addition to the pest list.
The Conservation Ecology Centre has spent the past year with Parks Victoria gaining an understanding of the scale of the latest threat.
Emma Birnbaum, from the Conservation Ecology Centre, said conservationists needed to act quickly to address the feral pig problem while eradication is still possible.
“Reports of feral pigs have been on the rise in the past two years, so over the past year we’ve tried to pull together all of the sightings,” she said. “We’re also really pushing for the public to report their sightings on feralscan (website).
“What we do know is they are across the Otways with some specific hot spots.
“There’s an abundance of water and food in the Otways, so it’s a really great area for them to thrive.”
Ms Birnbaum said feral pigs tended to move in family groups of between five and 10.
Feral pigs are a problem because they spread weeds, degrade soil and water, prey on native species, damage crops and livestock and carry disease.
“At the moment their numbers are low enough we have the chance to eradicate them entirely,” she said.
“What we really don’t want is for them to become as ingrained as deers, foxes, cats and rabbits and become something we are continually trying to manage.
“We want to have a strong push now and work out the best trapping methods, target those hot spots, and get them out of here.
“They dig up vegetation, they eat native flora and fauna, they spread pathogens and seeds, they’re also quite damaging on agricultural properties.
“Unless we act now, this has the potential to get out of control, which would be really devastating for the Otways.”