Pig Bait Trials

Pigs race to PIGOUT

Development of a commercially manufactured feral pig bait is rapidly gaining momentum through the R&D efforts of ACTA, the Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre (PAC CRC), and several government departments.

Funded through Meat and Livestock Australia Ltd, and federally through the National Feral Animal Control Program, the R&D group have developed a relatively species-specific bait to be marketed as PIGOUT^® Feral Pig Bait.

Michelle Smith, ACTA’s R&D Manager explained PIGOUT^® is proving to be highly palatable, relatively target specific and cost effective broadacre bait that lessens the risks to non-target species compared to currently employed feral pig baiting techniques.

"Initial pen and field trials with PIGOUT^® baits conducted at the DNRM Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre in Inglewood indicated that the bait matrix itself was highly palatable to feral pigs," she said.

"Lethal trials demonstrated that baits containing 72 mg of 1080 were effective at controlling feral pigs in a pen situation the
decision was made to embark on large-scale field trials."

According to Michelle, feral pigs occur in a range of habitats and utilise different food resources, meaning that trials needed to be conducted across a variety of ecosystems in different states and territories.

"The first large-scale field trial was conducted in September 2004 at Wrotham Park Station, a cattle property on the southern boundary of Cape York, northern Queensland," Michelle said.

"While feral pig density was low (less than 50 pigs per km2), aerial baiting with PIGOUT^® reduced feral pig activity at two treated sites by 42%."

This level of feral pig decrease was not as high as desired, and further improvements were made to the bait matrix to potentially increase uptake by feral pigs.

"The second large-scale field trial was conducted in November 2004 on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, with improved
PIGOUT^® baits."

"A ground-based baiting campaign indicated that the overall efficacy of PIGOUT® in reducing feral pig activity at three baited trial sites was high, with an average decline in activity of 85.6% recorded compared to three control sites where activity increased by 5.1%." she said.

Another field trial in Katherine, Northern Territory, in December 2004 was compromised due to low feral pig numbers and the on-set of the wet season. In areas where mobs of feral pigs were detected, PIGOUT^® was laid and baits successfully taken by the pigs.

In the first large-scale field trial for 2005 conducted in Welford National Park (central Qld), feral pigs were individually photographed using remote cameras or live-captured and fitted with radio tracking mortality collars to ensure identification and recovery of carcasses, and to collect data on individual pigs.

Michelle explained that a combined population of 50 pigs was present at four separate sites within the park, and from this
population, 36 pigs were known to have died as a result of taking PIGOUT^® baits.

"Of the 43 feral pigs that remained in the trial site at the time of bait deployment, 36 pigs, or 84% of the tagged population were confirmed to have died as a result of eating a PIGOUT^® Bait,” Michelle said.

Animal Control Technologies

Progress on Feral Pig Control

Pigs race to PIGOUT