Pest Animals
Council’s Biosecurity Plan identifies the high priority pest animals within the Burdekin Shire area as:
Council’s support programs for landholders to assist with controlling pest animals are available on the Council's Services and Subsidies web page.
Feral pigs
Feral pigs can be found throughout the Shire.
They are described as:
- Typically smaller, leaner and more muscular than the domestic pig, with well developed shoulders and neck, and smaller shorter hindquarters
- Snout and tusks are longer and larger, tail is straighter, ears are smaller and mostly pricked, back is much narrower that that of a domestic pig
- Body is usually covered in sparse, coarse hair
- Coat is usually black, bluff or black-and-white spotted
Feral pigs spread invasive plants, degrade waterholes, prey on native species including turtles and small mammals, cause soil erosion and can carry disease that affect people, native animals and stock.
Feral pigs can cause severe economic losses to all crops including seed, grain, sugar, fruit and vegetables and damage pasture by grazing and digging.
Council’s management activities for feral pigs include 1080 baiting on individual properties on request, coordinated shoots, and the loan of traps and hog hoppers.
Further information is available on the Queensland Government Business Queensland's Feral Pig web page.
Wild Dogs
The term ‘wild dogs’ refers to purebred and hybrid dingoes as well as domestic dogs that now live in the wild.
Wild dogs are common across the Burdekin.
Dingoes are described as:
- Being up to 60cm tall, weight up to 25kg
- Coat is usually red, ginger or sandy yellow, though can also be pure white, black and tan, or solid black.
- Skull is heavily boned
- Teeth are larger than those of domestic dogs
- Body is naturally lean
- Ears are large, pricked
- Feet are white
- Tail has a white tip
They are found in varied habitats and use roads, creeks and fencelines as travel ways with higher activity in autumn, which is mating season.
Local impacts include stock injuries and losses, irrigation infrastructure damage and predation of native wildlife. Wild dogs can also spread hydatids (a parasitic tick that can rimpact human health) and hydatidosis (affecting domestic animals).
Council’s management activities for wild dogs/dingoes include free individual and coordinated 1080 baiting programs (provided tthe landholder supplis the baiting medium), coordinated shoots as well as financial assistance for the hire of trappers and a whole pelt dingo bounty.
Further information is available on the Queensland Government Business Queensland's Wild dog and Dingo web pages.
Feral Chital Deer
Chital deer can be found in sections throughout the Shire.
Unlike the above species, chital deer are considered either farmed or feral. Farmed deer are kept on a property within a deer-proof fence. However, if the deer escape the property they are kept on, they are deemed to be feral and subject to control activities.
They are described as:
- Relatively small deer species, with stags standing about 86 cm at shoulder and weighing up to 90 kg, hinds smaller and weighing about 45 kg
- Coat varies from rusty red to dark brown, with permanent white spots in broken lines along body and dark dorsal stripe along spine
- Throat is white and is a prominent distinguishing feature
- Inner legs, stomach and under tail are also white to beige
- Tail is larger than those on most other deer
- Stags carry three-tined antlers on long, upright beam, usually 55-70 cm long, but up to 90 cm.
Local impacts include damage to natural envrionments, weed dispersal, fouling water, as well as damage to crops, irrigation systems and fences. Feral chital deer can also be a traffic hazard and cause car accidents.
Council undertook an investigation into chital deer in the Burdekin, mainly on Rita Island, in 2016. The report from Feralfix is available in the related documents section
Further information is available on the Queensland Government Business Queensland's Chital Deer web page.