Feral pigs are invasive in many regions, causing significant ecological and agricultural damage. Management programs raise welfare questions about control methods and the treatment of individual animals.
Feral pig management involves significant welfare trade-offs. Lethal control is necessary for ecological protection of native species and agricultural viability, but methods vary dramatically in welfare impact. Trapping causes prolonged stress and may result in group separation and fighting before killing. Aerial shooting by trained marksmen achieves rapid death with minimal stress. Poisoning with 1080 causes internal suffering before death. The welfare case for high-accuracy aerial shooting as the preferred method in large-scale management is supported by comparative analysis, despite the methods' public perception challenges.