Feral cattle

Feral cattle cause all of the following damage to the environment:

• land degradation by trampling
• soil compaction and erosion
• increased nutrient loading
• spreading of weeds
• sedimentation of waterways.

Feral cattle can affect agricultural productivity by competing with domestic cattle for food and water. 

Feral cattle can carry and spread disease and may cause problems during disease control operations. 

Some farmers use feral cattle for domestic and international markets, so putting control programs in place can be difficult. It is important to control feral cattle as they cause trouble in mustering, handling and population control of domestic cattle.