New trials to manage roos in the Rangelands

Overabundant kangaroo numbers have a detrimental effect on the environment through grazing pressure. The massive animal die-off that occurs when dry times arrive and populations are high is a sad state, and more is being done to keep kangaroo numbers to a sustainable level.

The SA Landscape Priorities Fund, through the Kangaroo Partnership Project, has funded three projects that will share in almost $65,000 for trials to manage kangaroos.

The grants were available for trials and demonstrations, research and development, education and awareness raising and innovative ideas.

Funding was awarded to Australian Wildlife Services, Kate Greenfield and to Nature Conservation Society of South Australia.

Australian Wildlife Services received $17,858 for the project Increasing kangaroo value through quality, product diversity, reliability and branding.

The project will work to increase kangaroo value through improved quality, product diversity, consistency, supply reliability and marketing as low emission, tasty and healthy meat. It is hoped it will transfer kangaroo from pests to assets in the hands of landholders and raise the value of the meat to equal wild goats.

Kate Greenfield was awarded $20,000 for the project South Australian Arid Rangelands Kangaroo Collective Pilot that will be undertaken by 10 neighbouring properties in the Gawler Ranges and Kingoonya districts.

This pilot program will bring together land managers, ecologists, members of the Kangaroo Management Taskforce and SA Arid Lands Landscape Board staff to collaboratively target effective landscape scale kangaroo management in the medium to long term in an area to the west of Lake Torrens.

It is hoped, through the achievements of this project, a replicable model can be created.

Nature Conservation Society of South Australia was awarded $25,233 for the Kangaroo Management Raising Awareness Program.

This advocacy project will work towards amplifying the voices of champions and of the narratives necessary to increase community understanding and acceptance of kangaroo management.

It will work towards increased public support and social licence through conventional media outlets and social media platforms in an effort to decrease opposition and increase the social licence to manage kangaroos.

SAAL Landscape Board General Manager Jodie Gregg Smith said she hoped that through these grants, kangaroo numbers would be managed to avoid the die-off caused by overabundance during future droughts.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the progress that can be made to improve outcomes for the land where an overabundance of kangaroos destroys the landscape through over-grazing impacts and the welfare of the animals is better protected to prevent protracted and painful deaths through starvation and stress in droughts.”

For more information about the Kangaroo Partnership Program and the grant projects, visit https://www.landscape.sa.gov.a...