Code name
The Destroyer
Status
Most serious agricultural pest in Australia.
Numbers
Estimated at up to 11 million.
Distribution
Found in swamps, dams, and along rivers.
Original purpose
Brought on the First Fleet to provide meat and fat.
Capabilities
Uproots the soil with their snout in search of food. Infested with parasites and carriers of disease. Aggressive.
Problem
Causes extensive damage. Breaks fences, fouls waterholes and digs up drains and dam banks. Destroys ground cover vegetation and causes soil erosion. Affects ground nesting birds and native animals.
Control
There are poisoning, trapping and shooting programs in place, with some success.
