SYDNEY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Residents in the Australian city of Cairns have been left seething with anger after a hungry pig chewed up part of the town's State Heritage Listed botanical gardens.
One of the most spectacular displays of rare tropical plants anywhere in the world, the Cairns Botanical Gardens site is a beckon for tourists and famous for its rainforest boardwalk.
But although the renowned attraction may be an environmental point of pride for the local community, for one pig, the lush green landscape is a perfect place for a snack.
"While the feral pig in question did not cause any significant damage to the gardens, feral pigs are a major pest animal in the Far North and damage the natural environment and pose a major threat to the conservation values of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area," a Cairns Regional Council spokesperson told the Cairns Post Newspaper on Wednesday.
"They cause significant losses to agricultural enterprises in the region, and harbour and spread diseases affecting native animals, stock and humans," the spokesperson said.
Spotted in the gardens twice in two weeks to munch on the meticulously kept floral exhibitions, the spokesperson said, it's likely the hot, dry weather in the area is what drove the animal into the botanical grounds.
"They can do a lot of damage just by rooting around the plants, and could have damaged our rare gingers," said Lorraine Smith from the Foundation, Friends of the Botanic Gardens, who promote and support the site.
"It would have been quite a shock,(to see the pig). It was lucky no one was charged by it," she added.
Unfortunately for the gluttonous pig, it looks like its time chomping on the carefully designed displays are over.
The Cairns Regional Council has now erected a fence around the site and are confident no more hungry pigs will be able to make their way inside.
