A field test of the anaesthetics, surgical methods and radio-transmitters required for producing Judas pigs for an eradication programme
Judas pigs (Sus scrofa) will be integral to the success of the proposed Auckland Island (45 891 ha) pig eradication. Judas pigs must be permanently unable to breed and reliably retain a radio-transmitter to enable tracking and retrieval. This study tested the techniques and practical requirements to undertake the procedures required to produce a Judas pig in a remote location. Four adult female wild pigs were captured using a netgun from a helicopter and processed at a base site in the field.