Feral pigs are causing damage in New Zealand's Waitākere Ranges, raising worries about native bush and a nearby seabird colony.
Here's what to know
1News reported that the pig population in the ranges has "exploded," according to Waitākere ward councilor Ken Turner, who blames the growing problem on maintenance issues.
"Lack of pest control, lack of council putting their budget in the right places for contractors," he told Breakfast.
Turner also said pigs have been in the ranges since "Captain [James] Cook dropped some off [in 1769]" and that private and recreational hunters had traditionally helped keep their numbers down.
More background
In the Waitākere Ranges, Turner said the parks have already been closed to protect kauri trees from dieback disease.
"It's the hypocrisy of having closed our parks to trampers, and yet now it's being obliterated by pigs," he said.
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What's being done?
The Auckland Council rejected the suggestion that the problem is being overlooked, saying its control work is producing results. Turner said culling has begun to make a difference and noted that contractors had killed more than 100 pigs.
"But those numbers alone show you how bad the problem was," Turner said. "They do far more damage than the trampers. 'Pigs out, people in' is my new motto."
Where can I learn more?
These articles look at how feral pigs are spreading across North America, damaging farms, and threatening wildlife.
• Across the United States, feral swine populations wreak terror as hunters struggle to keep up.
• In Texas, feral hogs run rampant, leaving farmers bracing for heavy crop losses.
• Along the Canadian border, wild 'super pigs' threaten to spread south into the U.S.
• In California, hybrid pig-boar populations are emerging as a growing threat to wildlife.
• In British Columbia, officials want residents to squeal on escaped feral pigs early.
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