Hunters called in to 'pig heaven'

Drought-breaking rains this year in the Darling River region of north-western New South Wales were welcomed by farmers. But they have also boosted the feral pig population, prompting an unprecedented campaign of aerial culls that rangers said yesterday have killed nearly 8000 animals.

So dense are the pigs in the remote wetland areas that shooters from the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) have been averaging one kill a minute. During the latest cull last month, one marksman killed 195 pigs during a two-hour session.

Colin Betts, a senior ranger with the Darling LHPA, said that heavy rains and flooding had created a "pig heaven". "There's an abundance of food out there and it's so inaccessible that they can breed undisturbed," he said. "We've been shooting boars up to 140kg live weight.

"This is very open, flat country with plenty of ground cover, so it's ideal for them, with lots of places to hide."

Feral pigs are considered a serious pest because they foul waterways, wreck fences and destroy wildlife habitats. "They cause all sorts of havoc, urinating in waterways and eating crustaceans and uprooting habitat," said Betts. "They cause damage to the rural infrastructure, trampling fences and water troughs and artesian bores."

A series of three aerial culls has claimed 7650 boars, with more than half of those shot in June. "We have very experienced pilots and shooters," Betts said. "Once you spot a mob of pigs, you home in on them and start to cull. Very few get away." The helicopter sweeps are followed up by baiting and trapping.

The Darling region was badly affected by prolonged drought, but the countryside is green again after two years of rain. That means plenty of grass and roots for the pigs to feast on. They also eat animal carcasses.

Farmers have been taken aback by their sheer numbers, with the pigs previously found only in isolated pockets. They say that commercial culls, which harvest wild boars to export as meat, do not have a significant impact because only larger animals are targeted.