WATCH VIDEO: Feral pigs moving in across Douglas Shire
FNQ environment
Reports of large numbers of feral pigs across Douglas Shire are continuing, with Newsport hearing from several readers in the past month about the destruction they are causing.
Shire residents living on either side of the Daintree River have been reporting pigs in large numbers, while others have been spotted in the Mossman and Ellis Beach regions.
Earlier this year the State Government announced an emergency culling plan to try to control numbers across Northern Queensland following several flooding events.
“Conditions created by Queensland’s record-breaking monsoon season throughout the 2025-26 summer have presented an opportune moment to target feral pigs,” the Government stated in January.
There were further flooding events across Douglas Shire in March, fuelling speculation of more increases to pig numbers.
In February the Government announced a new management plan to tackle the problem across the next five years, saying there needed to be a coordinated approach to help combat one of Queensland’s most destructive pest animals.
Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said feral pigs impacted farmers, graziers, foresters and ecosystems right across the state.
“Feral pig management isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works in Cape York won’t be the same as what’s needed in the Darling Downs,” he said at the time.
“Collaboration is critical because everyone has a responsibility to take reasonable steps to manage feral pigs on land under their control.”
In December a Douglas Shire Council report stated close to 30 feral pigs had been caught the month before by rangers, which was above average for November.
About 600 feral pigs were trapped by council rangers in 2025, with the large number boosted by expanded on-ground efforts due to extra funding from an environmental grant.
Feral pigs are particularly prevalent in Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory, where they damage almost all crops, are known to kill lambs and native fauna, degrade waterways, and carry serious diseases that can be transmitted to people.
