By Kirsty Nancarrow and Phil Staley
ABC News
A 10-year-old boy who was attacked by a feral pig in far north Queensland says his friend is a hero for trying to help him.
He says he was not scared at the time but he is glad his friend Scott Cam was there to help.
"We got to the creek and a couple of metres after it I heard something in the bush and I jumped off my bike because I thought it was a bird and then it ran out, like charged at us, so I got on the ground and it started to attack me," he said.
"He was trying to find something to hit the pig with, get it off me.
"It was too late because the pig ran away because it hit itself on the bike - Scott, you're my hero."
Ashton was treated in the Mossman Hospital for a neck wound.
There is an estimated two million feral pigs in far north Queensland.
Ashton's mother, Sue Davenport, says she does not want to see the animals shot but says families in the area should remain vigilant.
"Think twice before you let your children go out on their own at the moment, but you can't wrap them in cotton wool," she said.
"You've got to let them be kids but he's just been told stand still and if there's a tree, climb a tree."
Meanwhile, the coordinator of natural management at the Cairns Regional Council, Russell Wild, says it needs landowners to help manage feral pigs.
Mr Wild says the council trapped 633 of the animals last year, mostly between Mossman and the Bloomfield River, but it is thought there's up to 6 million feral pigs in the far north.
"There is some hope on the horizon with the development of a new bait," he said.
"Obviously that's got to be tested and then approved.
"In the meantime it really does fall back on landowners to manage their properties and we encourage people to think about feral pig management."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-25/boy-gored-by-feral-pig-praises-hero-friend/4842910?section=qld
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