Pigs no match for thermal
Flooding rains upstream in the Warburton-Diamantina river systems have brought a green tinge to sand dune country of the far North East.
While this is beneficial for the environment, production and tourism, it also enables the growth and spread of feral pest species such as feral herbivores.
Landholders in the area had reported increased activity and damage caused by pigs and other large feral herbivores, which had also been noticed in the neighbouring Coongie Ramsar wetland.
More dense vegetation increased surface water make large feral herbivores more difficult to find with the naked eye. However, armed with new thermal-imaging binoculars, Department for Environment and Water marksmen were able to locate the hard to find animals. The binoculars have been shown to be effective in the south of the state, but had not previously been used in the far north wetland environment.
The technology greatly improved detection of feral species with more than 200 pigs and another 100 large feral herbivores removed from the landscape in May this year.
Left uncontrolled feral pigs reproduce twice each year with up to 10 piglets, which can reproduce from six months of age. They destroy critical natural habitat and damage pastures, fences floodplains and waterways by digging and wallowing. They also can have a significant impact on native species.
Pigs also carry disease and those controlled in the area in 2023 were carrying Brucellosis and Japanese encephaliltis, both of which are nationally notifiable diseases.
The Wetland Wonders Project is delivered by the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board through funding from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.
