The Evaluation of a Feral Pig Eradication Program During a Simulated Exotic Disease Outbreak.

An exercise was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of plans to eradicate feral pigs in an exotic disease emergency. The study site was an area of 120 km2 on the southern edge of the Macquarie Marshes in western New South Wales. Shooting from a helicopter accounted for 946 pigs at a rate of 39.2 per hour. This was at an average of 1.65 shots and a cost of $11.77 per pig. A further 43 were shot from the ground or trapped. Of an estimated initial population of 1238, 80% was removed. Telemetry studies conducted in conjunction with the exercise indicated that some pigs became attuned to the significance of a hovering helicopter and modified their behaviour to avoid detection. Movements also emphasised the need to match the boundaries of feral pig eradication zones with natural boundaries, where overlapping home ranges are minimal and densities low. Eradication of feral pigs during an outbreak of exotic disease may be an unrealistic goal, and it may be more efficient to aim to eradicate the disease within the feral pig population. This would be achieved by isolating those pigs carrying the infection; it does not necessarily require the removal of all feral pigs.

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Movements and Home Ranges of Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) in Kosciusko National Park, New South Wales.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9960711 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 711 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G Saunders ◽

B Kay

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

South Wales

The movements of a subalpine population of feral pigs were examined at Kosciusko National Park in southeastern New South Wales. Sufficient data were collected to estimate the home-range area of 20 pigs on the basis of 782 telemetry and trap locations. Mean (+/- s.d.) home-range size (minimum convex polygon method) for males (35.0 t 22.2 km*2) was significantly greater than that for females (1 1.1 +/- 5.2 km*2). Use of capture-recapture distances to estimate home-range size was considered inappropriate. A test for nomadism suggests that, although home ranges of pigs in this environment were larger than those reported for other pigs in Australia, the pigs were essentially sedentary. Management implications for this population are discussed.

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Movements of Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) at Sunny Corner, New South Wales.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9910049 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 49 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

G Saunders ◽

B Kay

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Home Range ◽

Sus Scrofa ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Peak Activity ◽

Vegetative Cover ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

South Wales

This study describes the movements of feral pigs at Sunny Corner in eastern New South Wales. Population density at this site was 2 pigs km-2. Twenty-two pigs (12 males and 10 females) were captured and fitted with telemetry transmitters. Aggregate home range for males (10.7 � 6.9 km2) was significantly greater than for females (4.9 � 1.4 km2) as was 24 h home range (1.4� 1.1 km2, males and 0.8 � 0.4 km2, females). Seasonal home ranges were greatest in the winter and smallest in the autumn. These differences were attributed to variations in food availability. During all seasons there was a preference for creeklines that had vegetative cover. This was the result of thermoregulatory needs, refuge availability and food supply. Peak activity throughout the study occurred between 1900 and 2400 hours with little movement during the middle of the day. The implications of these results to management programs are discussed.

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A Short-Term Evaluation of Feral Pig Eradication at Willandra in Western New South Wales

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9830269 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 269 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J Hone

Keyword(s):

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Short Term ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

South Wales ◽

Short Term Evaluation ◽

Term Evaluation ◽

Control And Eradication ◽

Feral Pig

An evaluation was conducted of an attempted eradication of feral pigs by poisoning and shooting, in an area of 50 km2 at Willandra in western New South Wales. Poisoning with 1080 killed 73% of the feral pigs. After the poisoning, 95 of 98 feral pigs seen in the area were shot. The results and their implications for the control and eradication of feral pigs are discussed.

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Contrast between the visible abundance of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, Petrogale penicillata, and its rarity in fox and dog scats in the gorges east of Armidale, New South Wales

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9960373 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 373 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

D Lunney ◽

B Law ◽

C Rummery

Keyword(s):

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Small Populations ◽

Scat Analysis ◽

South Wales ◽

Collection Period ◽

Natal Home

Predator scats were collected near colonies of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, Petrogale penicillata, in gorges near Armidale, New South Wales. Scat collection coincided with the two periods when these macropodids are believed to be most vulnerable to predation: when juveniles vacate the pouch (September) and when they disperse from natal home ranges (April). The ratio of known dingo to fox scats did not differ significantly from 1 : 1 for each collection period. The most common dietary items identified in the scat analysis were as follows: rabbits (in 30% of scats); swamp wallabies (21%); cattle (16%); and brushtail possums (10%). Despite a visible abundance of P. penicillata in the study area, it occurred rarely (1%) in the 342 canid scats collected, and no P. penicillata was detected in fox scats. While the collection and analysis of predator scats does detect P. penicillata, it does not provide an efficient means of doing so and is unlikely to be effective at detecting small populations of this species.

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Bird Distributions on Small Rainforest Remnants in New South Wales.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9810637 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 637 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

RW Howe ◽

TD Howe ◽

HA Ford

Keyword(s):

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Bird Species ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Additional Species ◽

South Wales ◽

High Dispersal ◽

North Eastern ◽

Bird Distributions ◽

Open Country

We studied bird distributions on 15 small patches of subtropical rainforest, ranging from 0.08 to 2.5 ha, in north-eastern New South Wales. Three-quarters of the bird species found in an extensive area of nearby rainforest were recorded in one or more of these isolated patches. Species that were not recorded, generally were rare in the extensive forest or are characterized by large home ranges. Several species more typical of open country were also found in the isolated patches. The number of resident species per patch ranged from one to 19; these were added in a rather predictable order from small to larger areas. Additional species observed in the patches either were transient or had home ranges encompassing several discontinuous areas. Although area is the best single predictor of species richness, isolation, disturbance by livestock and distance from water all tend to reduce the number of resident bird species. We propose that high dispersal abilities of rainforest birds near Dorrigo reflect the geographical and palaeogeographical distribution of Australian rainforest. The small total area and discontinuity of original tracts of rainforest, perhaps accentuated during the Pleistocene, have generally prevented persistence or colonization of highly sedentary, specialized bird species.

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The Demography of Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) in Kosciusko National Park, New South Wales.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9930559 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 559 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G Saunders

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

New South ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

New South Wales ◽

Protein Food ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

South Wales ◽

Postnatal Mortality ◽

Alpine Population ◽

Autumn And Winter

The demography of a sub-alpine population of feral pigs was examined at Kosciusko National Park in south-eastern New South Wales. Reproductive data and age structures indicated a seasonal pattern of breeding, most births occurring in summer and autumn. It is proposed that a decreasing availability of high protein food in the autumn and winter months caused reduced rates of conception. Sows produced 0.84 litters per year with postnatal mortality as high as 85%. The population appeared relatively stable at a density of 1.6 pigs kg-2. Hunting, although illegal in a national park, removed 4.4-15.4% of pigs each year. The overall health and body condition of pigs was good, with no evidence of heavy parasitic burdens or disease. Age-specific body weight and body length in this study were greater than those reported for pigs in semi-arid wester New South Wales.

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Home ranges of feral cats (Felis catus) in central-western New South Wales, Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr04093 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 32 (7) ◽

pp. 587 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Robyn Molsher ◽

Chris Dickman ◽

Alan Newsome ◽

Warren Müller

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Habitat Types ◽

South Wales ◽

Adult Cats

Twenty-one feral cats were radio-tracked using direct sighting and triangulation techniques (amassing 730 location fixes) during winter in an agricultural landscape in central-western New South Wales. Factors affecting home-range size, home-range overlap and habitat use were assessed. Mean home-range size was 248 ha (s.e. = 34.9, n = 15 cats, 598 location fixes). Home-range size and habitat use were not influenced by sex or age of adult cats, prey abundance or time of day. However, cat weight significantly influenced range size, with heavier cats having larger ranges than smaller cats. Although the cats are apparently solitary, their home ranges overlapped considerably, particularly between young adults and old adult cats. Cats were active both by day and night and did not occupy permanent dens. Home ranges encompassed mixed habitat types that provided both shelter and prey. Open woodland and open forest were the main habitat types covered by home ranges, but within these areas cats showed a preference for grassland, where rabbits were more abundant. The results recorded in this study indicate that cat-control programs should concentrate in mixed habitat areas, where both shelter and food are available, and over widely dispersed areas. The absence of group living suggests that the effectiveness of virally vectored fertility or biological control agents would be limited.

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Aerial baiting of feral pigs (Sus scrofa) for the control of exotic disease in the semi-arid rangelands of New South Wales

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr98072 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 531 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Peter J. S. Fleming ◽

David Choquenot ◽

Richard J. Mason

Keyword(s):

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Effective Density ◽

Contingency Planning ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

The Third ◽

South Wales ◽

Arid Rangelands ◽

North Western

An experiment that held the density of feral pigs constant while varying the effective density of aerially distributed baits was conducted at three sites in north-western New South Wales. Meat baits, containing one of the biomarkers iophenoxic acid, tetracycline or rhodamine B, were distributed at different intensities over each site, and a sample of pigs was shot from a helicopter at each site to determine bait uptake. Serum and tissue samples taken from each pig were analysed for the occurrence of the biomarkers; the proportions of pigs exhibiting biomarkers represented the proportions of the feral pig populations that had consumed baits at different baiting intensities (expressed as baits per unit of pig density). The maximum percentage of sampled pigs that had eaten baits varied from 31% to 72% across the three sites. Bait uptake was regressed against baiting intensity. For two of the trials, the quantity of bait hypothetically required to eliminate a population of feral pigs was extrapolated to be 1577 baits per unit of pig density, while for the third trial 1874 baits per unit of pig density would have been required. Bait-uptake by non-target animals was substantial, posing potential hazards to birds and reducing the availability of baits to feral pigs. Most likely, seasonal conditions affected bait-uptake by feral pigs. We discuss the implications of these results for exotic disease contingency planning.

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