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Wallabies out of Control


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Every country has their own pest problems, some unique, some not so unique. I believe that it is only Australia and New Zealand that share the problem of Wallabies as pests. New Zealand has a policy of total eradication - if only it can be achieved. Australia has a bit more of a difficult problem with them as they are not an introduced invasive pest there but an indigenous mammal and also regarded by some, as a national treasure. That said, they still have a huge impact on pastureland.

Unfortunately here in New Zealand, wallabies have acclimatised well and possibly thrive better here than in their own native country.

What is the extent of our problem here? Have a look at this.....
 
www.stuff.co.nz

Aussie invasion: Paddock full of wallabies snapped by Bay of Plenty pest contractor

The thermal scope of a pest contractor highlighted the problem, though the regional council says some landowners don't realise marsupials are out and about on their property at night.
www.stuff.co.nz www.stuff.co.nz

Fortunately wallabies are within containment areas in both the North and the South Island but that is spreading by natural migration and misguided hunters/pet owners wanting to establish a population of wallabies in their own home area.

It is hard to describe the damage they can do but I will try and get some pictures to post as well.

Cheers
Phil
 
Edited by PhilH
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Here are some pictures of the damage they do. It is possibly hard for people who have not been to New Zealand to understand the full scope of the damage Wallabies do. In the following two pictures the land shown in its natural state is covered in natural tussock between knee and waist height. It is hard to walk through in its natural state.
WallabyDamage.jpg.810ef3ef6b6bf7af66b602a6923c2df0.jpg

Wallabydamage2.jpg.e3b28003491847903aaf4485f42eb96e.jpg

These are examples of where the Wallabies have eaten it down and will continue eating it down until it basically can't sustain any growth and it then turns into desert. Then the pigs come in and root for worms and any remaining plant roots and we then get whole hillsides subsiding. We have what are termed man made deserts in New Zealand and most are from the introduction of invasive pests like the rabbit and now the wallaby.

Cheers
Phil
Edited by PhilH
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  • PhilH changed the title to Wallabies out of Control
8 hours ago, W. Katchum said:

Any jobs going controlling them ?

One time I was in NZ , around 30 years ago, and I saw an advertisement in a vets window for Government cullers for 'possum.

It was a very basic wage, with subsistence allowance and bonus per kill, living in a shack in the bush. 

I thought " that would do for me, but reading the small print it was mainly baiting traps with 1080.

See if you can get hold of Barry Crumps book "A Good Keen Man", it's all about pig, goat, deer cullers in the 50's in NZ, a great read.

Cheers.

Edited by chartpolski
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2 hours ago, chartpolski said:

One time I was in NZ , around 30 years ago, and I saw an advertisement in a vets window for Government cullers for 'possum.

It was a very basic wage, with subsistence allowance and bonus per kill, living in a shack in the bush. 

I thought " that would do for me, but reading the small print it was mainly baiting traps with 1080.

See if you can get hold of Barry Crumps book "A Good Keen Man", it's all about pig, goat, deer cullers in the 50's in NZ, a great read.

Cheers.

not sure if it was one of his books charts...but a mate lent me a book about the cullers living in the bush set at the same time....very good read it was ..but it struck me as a very harsh life ...living in camps tents/shacks and going out every day with a rifle and shooting deer in some very tuff terrain.... 

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11 hours ago, PhilH said:
Every country has their own pest problems, some unique, some not so unique. I believe that it is only Australia and New Zealand that share the problem of Wallabies as pests. New Zealand has a policy of total eradication - if only it can be achieved. Australia has a bit more of a difficult problem with them as they are not an introduced invasive pest there but an indigenous mammal and also regarded by some, as a national treasure. That said, they still have a huge impact on pastureland.

Unfortunately here in New Zealand, wallabies have acclimatised well and possibly thrive better here than in their own native country.

What is the extent of our problem here? Have a look at this.....
 
www.stuff.co.nz

Aussie invasion: Paddock full of wallabies snapped by Bay of Plenty pest contractor

The thermal scope of a pest contractor highlighted the problem, though the regional council says some landowners don't realise marsupials are out and about on their property at night.
www.stuff.co.nz www.stuff.co.nz

Fortunately wallabies are within containment areas in both the North and the South Island but that is spreading by natural migration and misguided hunters/pet owners wanting to establish a population of wallabies in their own home area.

It is hard to describe the damage they can do but I will try and get some pictures to post as well.

Cheers
Phil
 

alot there thats for sure.....

the other chap thats from N.Z put a clip up from a news channel out in N.Z about the rabbit problems out there in south island in the otargo region (spelling) that was last year when he put that up.....and from the news report the government were blaming land owners....and the landowners blaming the government ...

i personly think the government needs to get a grip on these pests before you have real environmental issue's  

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