Pestsmart Fact Sheet - Feral Pig

Feral pigs in Australia descend from domestic swine, but look more similar to Eurasia’s wild boar than their domestic counterparts. They tend to have sparse, coarse hair on lean and muscular frames, well-developed necks and shoulders that taper to short hindquarters. Colouration is predominantly black, rust-coloured or black and white spotted.  Pigs have keen senses of smell and taste and good hearing, but their eyesight is generally considered to be poor. Feral pigs are highly social and intelligent animals that naturally form groups.  These groups are usually less than 12 individuals, although they can be as large as 400 if conditions are right. Feral pigs are most active from late afternoon to early morning.

This 2 page publication provides information about habitat, nutrition, reproduction and lifecycle of the feral pig as well as its economic, environmental, and social impacts.

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