In General: The foraging habits of exotic ungulate (hooved) species can directly and indirectly affect native plant and animal distribution and abundance patterns.
Boars
The story goes that we originally had the Spanish small black pig, after the Hana Piggery closed down they let the gates open and loosed the 500 lbs free into the wild. Crossbreeding occurred and now what was once the cute floppy earred/ non tusked "gentle giants" became a thing of the past. Now the island had 300+ lbs of mean and stink with RAZORS built-in each side.
Food habits characterized by: (1) an omnivorous diet (2) a staple of tree ferns, (3) a seasonal switch from tree ferns to strawberry guava, and (4) a strong reliance on earthworms as a source of animal protein. The dietary range covers 40 plant species. Tree ferns were the most concentrated source of sugar and starch.
~Full article here.
Breeding occurs throughout the year. One litter can have 8-10 piglets.
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Axis Deer
Quick Description:
Axis deer prefer to be at lower altitudes in South Maui's dryland forests. But in the summertime and during the ongoing drought, increasing numbers of deer leave the forest in search of water, green grass and low-lying plants, the experts said.
the animals are increasingly finding refuge in town parks and suburbia - where gunplay could land hunters behind bars. In addition, some residents even feed axis deer as pets and harbor the graceful creatures on spacious "gentleman's farms."
~Full article here.
The article is wrong on one thing however, I've even seen them make their way to the rain forests of East Maui now, not in large numbers, but the jump has been made from the dry to wetlands.
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Goats
Quick Description:
More than 30,000 goats have been killed in Haleakala National Park since 1915, yet they still impart a major negative impact upon the native ecosystems.
Basically the same problem as deer without the ability to jump 12 ft fences.
i hunt a lot but iv always wanted to kill a 22 point but i dont think that gona happen..... welll we never know im only 12
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, the world will NEVER run out of animals to kill. Be it to Eat, Hunt, or Taxidermy. I've lost count of how many boars I've taken out in my years of hunting and it still hasn't made any difference!
ReplyDelete