Feral Pigs in Australia
The feral pig or sus scrofa, as its scientifically known, is a coarse furred porcine creature that is usually slightly smaller than the domestic pig that is found on farms, Although, mature feral pigs will have developed tusks whereas domestic pigs have their tusks removed shortly after birth. The feral pig also has a longer snout than a domestic pig as well as smaller ears and they are also known to have poor eyesight although to make up for that they have an acute sense of smell and hearing.
Wild pigs usually limit their activities to around the times of dusk and dawn due to the fact that they are primarily nocturnal and prefer the cooler temperatures. Feral pigs are normally very timid and wary creature and will…show more content… This means they are not native or indigenous to Australia. They were brought here as domestic pigs in the May of 1788 by the First Fleet and other ships that came to settle here in Australia. Initially the First Fleet brought 49 pigs to Australia as they are a great food source and and are easy livestock to breed. Eventually as settlements got bigger the increased pig population either escaped or was let roam around the 1880’s.
They became feral animals, they do not belong naturally in this environment. This means they can and do cause catastrophic damage to the native plants and animals in Australia’s unique ecosystem and to our farmers crops.
Wild pigs prefer to live in moist areas with easy access to water, food and shelter. Australia has many areas that are suitable for wild pigs such as paper-bark swamps, rainforests and marsh areas, all of which provide good cover. Wild pigs are therefore more common in eastern coastal areas because inland ecosystems are usually much dryer and do not supply the shelter or food required to survive.
The wild pig will eat almost anything and they often switch food preferences due to seasonal availability. They may prefer fresh greens but are also known for eating and damaging farmer's crops such as sugar cane, grains, vegetables and fruit. They are omnivorous and will eat small animals such as fish, frogs, reptiles, birds and other smaller