Skip to main content

Story: Introduced animal pests

Pig rooting, Wairau valley

Image
Pig rooting, Wairau valley

Wild pigs damage undergrowth by breaking up the earth in search of tasty roots. They also dig out invertebrates to eat, such as land snails. This reduces biodiversity and opens the ground to weeds.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10033167

by John Johns

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Bob Brockie, Introduced animal pests – Deer, goats, pigs and wasps, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/10138/pig-rooting-wairau-valley (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bob Brockie, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 July 2015.