Feral pigs are causing trouble for locals around Adelaide River and are casting doubt over the future of the iconic Adelaide River Races.
With the wet season in full swing, the pests are coming into the town to scour for food and dig up gardens.
The damage from the feral pigs caused the Adelaide River Races to be postponed last year, as they had dug up holes throughout the racetrack.
C-E-O of Coomalie Council Sharon Hillen says with a new fence around the racetrack to keep the pigs out, other measures to deter the pigs could be enforced.
“Maintaining that fence and maintaining property fences that keep pigs out, there’s various products on the market to do so,” she says.
“But we think that it might be that there’s an opportunity to put some one-way gates in that might then lead into a trap, so they’re trapping the animals.”
With The Feral Animal Act outlining that property owners must manage the pests themselves, locals have had to invite pig hunters to their property to get rid of them.
But Ms Hillen says she understands not everyone has the ability to deal with the pests on their own.
“Council often gets called in looking for solutions but one of the things that we can do is advocate on behalf of community and provide a bit of a coordinated approach,” she says.
“We’re relying on property owners to manage the feral pigs on their own country, but not everybody has the capacity to do that.”
The Coomalie Council are currently working with the Department of Environment to manage the feral pigs, aiming to still have the Adelaide River Races go ahead this year.
