The Effect of an Intensive Shooting Exercise From a Helicopter on the Behaviour of Surviving Feral Pigs
In: Wildlife research, Band 23, Heft 4, S. 435
ISSN: 1448-5494, 1035-3712
The hypothesis that disturbance from a shooting exercise using a helicopter will influence the behaviour of
surviving feral pigs, Sus scrofa, was tested on a population of radio-collared feral pigs in north-western
New South Wales. No significant differences existed in hourly distance moved by pigs, diel variation in
distance moved by pigs, or home-range size of pigs, between a radio-tracking session conducted
immediately before a shooting exercise from a helicopter and a radio-tracking session conducted during and
after the exercise. The position of the home ranges of feral pigs did not appear to be affected by the
shooting exercise, although several radio-collared feral pigs moved into and out of the study area between
tracking sessions. Overall, the results suggest that the disturbance caused by shooting has little effect on the
behaviour of surviving feral pigs.