Posted: 8/29/2005 11:22:52 PM EDT
 Full-boar invasion of suburbs DANIELLE JESSER and DAMIEN STANNARD 28aug05 THIS massive boar – one of the largest caught in Queensland – shows how big the feral pig problem has become. Hunters say the beasts are growing to monstrous size as farmers fight a losing battle against the pests. The pigs are becoming more brazen as they take to the suburbs of north Queensland in search of food, destroying gardens and lawns in Cairns and Airlie Beach. Hunter Wayne Haldane has caught what is thought to be one of the biggest ferals in Queensland near his home in Kennedy, north of Cardwell. The boar weighed 270kg and the only scales that could hold it were electronic ones used to weigh cattle. Most feral pigs, which hide in sugar cane, weigh 60kg-150kg. "I've caught plenty of pigs but never anything the size of this one," Mr Haldane said. "He must have been on good tucker." While no official records of pig weights are kept, State Department of Natural Resources spokesman Steve Matheson said it was the biggest pig the department had heard about. Mr Matheson said the pig would have been living on bananas rather than just sugar cane. Mr Haldane said he thought feral pig numbers were rising, especially in areas that bordered national parks. "Pigs are more cunning than most people think. These big old boars don't get that big by being stupid." Mr Haldane and friends Jamie Bush and Jason Carter tracked the pig for more than three hours. They took three dogs and covered about 4km. "They do a ridiculous amount of damage to the sugar cane and bananas. Any dead pig is a good pig." Researchers hope a vegetable sausage that smells like fish might help deliver poison baits to the estimated 23 million feral pigs nationally. This month, Cairns man Rod McKechnie had to defend himself with a shovel when a 60kg feral pig charged him in suburban Redlynch when he tried to shoo it from a playground. A 40kg feral pig that moved into the Townsville suburb of Annandale in June has gone to ground. The reclusive beast, known as Stinky to residents, has eluded all Townsville City Council's attempts to trap it. |
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I saw a pig that I would estimate to be bigger than that one by a good 100-150 pounds. It was in a trash dump on a ranch in Webb Co. TX. Almost literally scared the shit out of me. Did scare a bit of piss out of me. Nothing more scary than going to the trash dump at night, get out of the truck, chunk a bag of garbage into the pit and seeing a ginormous white & gray pig running and squealing. Damn shame the pit was within a mile of camp. |
