Feral Pig Eradication Program on KI

Feral pigs were a major pest on Kangaroo Island (KI), causing severe economic and environmental impacts.

During the 2019-20 bushfires, 211,000 hectares of land from the western border of KI were burnt. The fires wiped out most of the estimated 5–10,000 feral pigs on the island, creating a unique opportunity to eradicate the small remaining population.

This led to a $2.67 million Feral Pig Eradication Program, which was undertaken by PIRSA in partnership with:

• the Department for Environment and Water
• the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
• Livestock SA
• Agriculture Kangaroo Island
• several other non-government organisations

The program is considered to be a flagship demonstration of best practice feral animal eradication, with the skills and equipment being transferred to managing other pests.

Program progress

The program launched with a 2-to-3-year timeframe, starting in the wake of the bushfires. Surveys indicated feral pigs had recolonised watercourses in remote areas that are not accessible for trapping and baiting.

We used a network of 500 monitoring cameras aided by artificial intelligence to support the following control activities:

• thermal-assisted helicopter culling
• baiting
• trapping
• detector dogs
• ground shooting.

^{Feral pigs detected with AI camera technology}

From 2022, 878 feral pigs had been removed from KI. Since then, 5 female feral pigs were detected and culled, with the last 3 culled during March 2024. Dissection showed that none had given birth to piglets. No male pig has been detected since November 2022.

Ongoing initiatives

The program has entered its final phase, with surveillance continuing for 2 years in isolated areas that are known hotspots for feral pigs. This will confirm that the feral pig population has been eradicated.

Community support was an important element of the program by reporting feral pig sightings – we ask KI residents to continue their vigilance.