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Help needed to protect kangaroos
16 June 2007
As part of the recent review of our campus Master Plan, we engaged consultants to report on kangaroos, and their future as the university expanded, and more threateningly, as the urban environment around us densifies.
As everyone who visits or has been part of the university knows, we love the presence of the kangaroos, but insist that they be treated as wild animals and not be approached. We also insist that no domestic animals be brought onto campus to disturb the kangaroos.
The consultants’ report I received last week records the healthy breeding state of the current population. Numbers have grown from around 30 in 1994 to an estimated 100, with lots of joeys and juveniles, forming four distinct groups.
The population is mainly sedentary although there are movements across Sippy Downs Drive from Siena College, and limited movement via the National Park.
As the Sippy Downs Town Centre develops, the road-kill across Sippy Downs Drive could escalate, and eventually that recruitment route would be cut off.
There will, therefore, be a diminishing habitat, greater isolation from other kangaroo populations, heightened prospect of more road kills, and more threats from dogs, in particular. The kangaroo populations may coalesce, and will be surrounded by urban landscape on three sides, and cut off to the north.
The possibility of over-grazing on the remaining land is raised, as is sickness, in-breeding and possible aggressive behaviours, especially by mating males as the kangaroo-human interface intensifies.
These warnings raise important management issues that bear not only on the university, but also the local residents, especially those with domestic animals.
At the university we clearly need to continue monitoring the kangaroos, but also consider habitat retention even more closely, address the issue of fencing the campus, and ensuring the management of sick and injured kangaroos.
These animals are such a delightful feature of the campus that we have to do our outmost to protect them, but we need a great deal of help and co-operation from local residents as well as staff and students, if we are to succeed in maintaining an appropriate habitat for them.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast.