| Feral hogs have become a huge problem everywhere they have spread throughout Australia. Their first official introduction to Australia was with the first fleet in 1788. A few escapees soon colonized nearby forests and soon reverted to the wild ways of their forbears. During this process they became the agriculturists and environmentalists worst nightmare. The damage bill to the agricultural industry alone is believed to exceed $100 million dollars annually, a crippling cost.
They have become prolific in many areas of Australia, mainly in N.S.W, Queensland and the Northern Territory top end, but there are also small pockets of existence in the other states as well. The feral hog population has been estimated as between 3.5 to 23.5 million individuals Australia wide.
They have a habit of destroying environments in search of food including vast tracts of pristine North Australian wetlands. In the process they foul up the water and destroy nesting habitats of native birds as well as eating bird’s eggs as well as reptile eggs and young. They are known carriers of a host of deadly stock and human diseases and parasites including foot and mouth disease virus, Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Melliodosis T.B, Japanese Encephalitis and Spargonosis worm.
They have been subjected to just about every method of destruction known to man short of the A bomb. And guess what? They are still here and doing well, albeit in smaller numbers if we are to believe the official figures. However with sows reaching breeding age at around 7 months, and having 2 litters a year of usually at least six piglets, it’s a constant supply of hogs.
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