Nature in the News

Ulmus

Sad to read this wild boar family were killed in Kerry. Rewilding won't happen when it conflicts with farming interests.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wild-boar-in-kerry-mountains-public-asked-to-keep-watch-but-not-approach-40546092.html

Scotty #

Ulmus wrote: »

Sad to read this wild boar family were killed in Kerry. Rewilding won't happen when it conflicts with farming interests.

It also won't happen when Joe Soap takes it upon himself to do it. It was the NPWS who killed the boars, not the local farmers as your post suggests.

Storm 10

Are wild Boars dangerous if you came across one .

magicbastarder

according to my german colleagues, in general no. dangerous for your lawn, perhaps.

kildare lad

Article about letting nature take it's course when it comes to rewilding . I think it was on Facebook I seen a post where a fella fenced off an area so wild goats/sheep couldn't graze . Well in the space of ten years you'd want to see the amount of trees growing and density of them compare to want just looked lawn on the other side of the fence where animals were allowed graze .

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/16/half-the-trees-in-two-new-english-woodlands-planted-by-jays-study-finds

kildare lad

Ulmus wrote: »

Sad to read this wild boar family were killed in Kerry. Rewilding won't happen when it conflicts with farming interests.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wild-boar-in-kerry-mountains-public-asked-to-keep-watch-but-not-approach-40546092.html

I don't think wild boars would help with any rewilding tbh . Anywhere boars have been introduced they've been devastating to the enviorment. I did once native , but as with wolves we don't have a decent enviorment for them to thrive

magicbastarder

kildare lad wrote: »

Anywhere boars have been introduced they've been devastating to the enviorment.

any links?

New Home

Storm 10 wrote: »

Are wild Boars dangerous if you came across one .

magicbastarder wrote: »

according to my german colleagues, in general no. dangerous for your lawn, perhaps.

Actually, they can be very aggressive, they're known to have seriously hurt and even killed people.

kildare lad

magicbastarder wrote: »

any links?

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/battle-to-control-america-most-destructive-invasive-species-feral-pigs

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-plague-of-pigs-in-texas-73769069/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-18/feral-pig-population-thrives-as-pest-feasts-on-harvest-spoils/12876716

https://www.australianwildlife.org/winning-the-battle-against-cape-yorks-feral-pigs/



Newsroom
Winning the battle against Cape York’s feral pigs
Leading the charge against Cape York’s destructive feral pigs are AWC sanctuary managers, Graham Woods and Sally Gray, at Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary.

They’ve successfully removed an astonishing 8,000 feral pigs since they began as managers (2013) and initiated a successful aerial shooting program (2015) at the remote north Queensland property.

Graham and Sally recently spoke to ABC News about AWC’s simple yet effective management strategy, which has reduced feral pig numbers to such low levels that crucial habitat has bounced back from devastation to glory – paying substantial ecological dividends.



Image Gallery Wayne Lawler Piccaninny Plains 3© Wayne Lawler/AWC
Piccaninny Plains is located at the heart of Cape York and covers over 165,000 hectares of global conservation significance.


A big pig problem

Covering 165,000 hectares, Piccaninny Plains lies at the heart of Cape York Peninsula, in a region of global significance for conservation. The property contains stunning ecological diversity, protecting iconic wildlife like the Palm Cockatoo, Red Goshawk and Spotted Cuscus; and a mosaic of rainforest, woodland, grassland and wetland habitat.

Unfortunately, Piccaninny Plains (and the rest of Cape York) is under threat from the region’s many invasive species – especially feral pigs – which wreak havoc with devastating impact. As Sally explains,

“Cape York is known as the feral pig capital of the country. We couldn’t travel anywhere on the property without coming across feral pigs.”



Piccaninny 2020 3494© Sally Gray/AWC
An estimated 23 million feral pigs roam Cape York, and are a priority threat on Piccaninny Plains.


Feral pigs are incredibly destructive. On Piccaninny Plains, they cause devastating damage to wetlands, spread invasive weeds, dig up plants, spoil water quality (affecting fish populations), eat the eggs of emus, turtles and crocodiles, eat native mussels and land crabs, and impact negatively on ground dwelling wildlife like birds and goannas.

The sanctuary’s vulnerable wetlands are particularly susceptible to invasive pests. Piccaninny Plains contains 70 wetlands of national conservation significance. Prior to AWC’s acquisition, these wetlands were routinely destroyed by hordes of feral pigs. Sally said:

“The damage to wetlands, and really significant habitat, was dramatic. In the early days, the pigs would eat the turtles and mussels, dig up the wetlands, have an impact on the recruitment of native plants, and the water quality was terrible.”



Ecological recovery

Today, Piccaninny Plain’s wetlands are in beautiful condition. Safe from the environmental vandalism caused by thousands of feral pigs, they have been transformed to their former ecological glory, and restored to a level which once again supports an abundance of native life.

Among the many species to benefit is one of Australia’s most iconic birds, the Emu. Feral pigs predate upon Emu eggs, so their reduction has resulted in a significant increase in the abundance of Emus. Plant life has also significantly benefited; for example, lillies are no longer trampled and decimated, but able to return to the surface of the lagoons.



Piccaninny 2020 3120© Sally Gray/AWC
Piccaninny Plains contains a vast network of more than 70 wetlands, providing a haven for resident and migratory waterbirds, crocodiles, aquatic snakes, frogs, freshwater crabs, turtles and fish.


The removal of pigs has also seen the evaporation rates in the lagoons themselves reduced, meaning that they hold water for longer – a vital lifeline for wildlife during the dry season. This is particularly important for the many migratory wetland bird species which use Piccaninny Plain’s lagoons as crucial habitat.



Winning the battle against feral pigs

Graham and Sally attribute their success to undertaking a monthly aerial pig control program – but it hasn’t been easy. When the program began, Graham and Sally were routinely seeing up to 100 pigs per mob, spread across huge areas. With only two of them to tackle the issue, alongside their other conservation duties, it’s been a huge undertaking. Sally said,

“A lot of the time people are overwhelmed with the problem. But we’ve been able to show that we can make a real difference on Country – with a fairly straightforward method, and just a couple of people”.

Persistence over many years has been key to our success on Piccaninny Plains and highlights the importance of AWC’s practical, long-term approach to conservation. Today, having significantly reduced feral pig numbers, and made a drastic improvement to habitat and native wildlife, it is clear to see that Sally and Graham’s hard work has definitely payed off.

“Now, we can travel 150 kilometres and we won’t see a pig”, said Sally.



Beyond the boundary

AWC, through Graham and Sally, continues to collaborate with the regional community to deliver a long-term and cohesive solution for controlling Cape York’s significant feral pig problem. As Sally explains,

“It’s really exciting to have a success story. The trick now is to get that same effort happening at a regional level.

Of course, pigs travel across boundaries. We need to get that regional effort going and it’s great that we’re starting to work towards that.”

Looking forward, the plan is to continue the aerial pig control program to maintain the suppression of feral pig numbers. Beyond the boundary, Graham and Sally will continue to share their strategy and experience with neighbouring properties in the region, in a bid to reduce feral pigs in the wider landscape.








Please help us protect threatened wildlife and habitat from invasive species

Wildlife C

magicbastarder

cheers, i would caveat some of that with the fact that they're definitely an invasive alien in australia, where they were never native.

Yellow_Fern

Scotty # wrote: »

It also won't happen when Joe Soap takes it upon himself to do it. It was the NPWS who killed the boars, not the local farmers as your post suggests.

I found the language of the NPWS service to be truly outrageous. There may be a good argument to kill them but calling them invasive is a very dubious when they are part and parcel of Eurasian natural environments.

Eddie B

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

I found the language of the NPWS service to be truly outrageous. There may be a good argument to kill them but calling them invasive is a very dubious when they are part and parcel of Eurasian natural environments.

That's assuming that they were indeed pure Eurasian wild boar. Anything else would certainly be invasive.

Yellow_Fern

Eddie B wrote: »

That's assuming that they were indeed pure Eurasian wild boar. Anything else would certainly be invasive.

I think trying to ensure a pure wild lineage is a good idea but it probably zero relevance to how they perform their ecological role no? In addition, it is very possible that Irish native wild boars had mixed DNA for thousands of years.

Eddie B

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

I think trying to ensure a pure wild lineage is a good idea but it probably zero relevance to how they perform their ecological role no? In addition, it is very possible that Irish native wild boars had mixed DNA for thousands of years.

Maybe, but what benefit would feral pigs bring to the Irish countryside?

magicbastarder

define 'benefit'.
e.g. what benefit to hedgehogs bring to the countryside?

New Home

Pest control?

Deub

New Home wrote: »

Actually, they can be very aggressive, they're known to have seriously hurt and even killed people.

I grew up in area in France known for its population of deers and wild boars. I have never heard of anyone being attacked/killed by wild boars and I lived in a small village where one of the main activity on saturday/sunday is walking/cycling in the woods.

Eddie B

magicbastarder wrote: »

define 'benefit'.
e.g. what benefit to hedgehogs bring to the countryside?

Like releasing any none native species to any eco system. Do they have a positive or negative effect? As we've seen in Australia, New Zealand etc, most have a negative effect.

Thelonious Monk

How lucky we destroyed the destructive beasts. They look so friendly and placid

https://mobile.twitter.com/ethicalfarmIE/status/1406263429426450432

magicbastarder

Eddie B wrote: »

Like releasing any none native species to any eco system. Do they have a positive or negative effect? As we've seen in Australia, New Zealand etc, most have a negative effect.

they were never native in AUS or NZ though. to call them non-native here would be a misnomer.

Eddie B

magicbastarder wrote: »

they were never native in AUS or NZ though. to call them non-native here would be a misnomer.

Not if they were a cross breed, which is what I've read. Now, that may or may not be true, but if so, they would not be seen as native.

New Home

Deub wrote: »

I grew up in area in France known for its population of deers and wild boars. I have never heard of anyone being attacked/killed by wild boars and I lived in a small village where one of the main activity on saturday/sunday is walking/cycling in the woods.

And I've read and heard of many reports to the opposite, including the father of someone I know, who died.

Having said that, let me be very clear, I don't agree with culling them or shooting on sight...

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

How lucky we destroyed the destructive beasts. They look so friendly and placid

https://mobile.twitter.com/ethicalfarmIE/status/1406263429426450432

...just like I would disagree with the culling of wolves, tigers, hippos, whathaveyou. Domestic pigs and geese can be very agressive and dangerous, too. Boars are TB carriers, too.

But it shouldn't be mandatory that they be destroyed simply because they can potentially be dangerous.

Deub

New Home wrote: »

And I've read and heard of many reports to the opposite, including the father of someone I know, who died.

Don’t get me wrong. They are dangerous if they are being hunted or injured but the risk is limited for walkers. The main danger with boars and deers is car accident when they cross the road.

The problem in Ireland is the lack of forests. Boars need a lot of it, otherwise they will search for food where it is: fields.

Eddie B

Deub wrote: »

Don’t get me wrong. They are dangerous if they are being hunted or injured but the risk is limited for walkers. The main danger with boars and deers is car accident when they cross the road.

The problem in Ireland is the lack of forests. Boars need a lot of it, otherwise they will search for food where it is: fields.

This is spot on, and unfortunately this is why Ireland is not suitable for re-introducing any large species.

Thelonious Monk

https://twitter.com/hannesjkoenig/status/1406709159031103496

Yellow_Fern

Eddie B wrote: »

Maybe, but what benefit would feral pigs bring to the Irish countryside?

there are a lot of plants and invertebrates that are impacted positively by wild pig activity.

whisky_galore

Last boar "removed".

I'm assuming a NPWS euphemism for "shot dead".

https://www.radiokerry.ie/news/remaining-wild-boar-in-east-kerry-has-been-removed-240622

magicbastarder

i wonder how long it will take for the environment down there to recover from the damage done by them.

whisky_galore

magicbastarder wrote: »

i wonder how long it will take for the environment down there to recover from the damage done by them.

Thousands of years of untold damage, landslides, small children eaten, etc etc.

Tiercel Dave

whisky_galore wrote: »

Last boar "removed".

I'm assuming a NPWS euphemism for "shot dead".

https://www.radiokerry.ie/news/remaining-wild-boar-in-east-kerry-has-been-removed-240622

I also have trouble with the term "Euthanised", to me, that is to painlessly put an animal down to relieve pain and suffering because it is in distress. In this instance, seemingly healthy animals were "removed" (see above ^).....