Roo road casualties

Kangaroos, pushed out of their homes by development and recent fire activity in the vast Bunyip State Park, are winding up dead or injured after being hit on the busy roads. 159933_01

By Kyra Gillespie

Kangaroos, pushed out of their homes by development and recent fire activity in the vast Bunyip State Park, are winding up dead or injured after being hit on the busy roads.

One of the most notorious roads in the region, Pakenham Road, is seeing a spike in instances of wildlife coming into contact with oncoming cars.

Just last year, the Gazette reported on a number of residents’ fears for the roos following a spate of wildlife casualties.

Now, local police have jumped on the issue, calling for the council to take action.

Members of the Cardinia Highway Patrol, while out patrolling on Tuesday 12 March, had an unfortunate run-in with a large kangaroo, which jumped unsuspectingly in front of the police car and struck the right panel, causing around $1500-worth of damage.

Leading Senior Constable Templar, who was in the patrol vehicle at the time, then hit another kangaroo on the same night a few hours later when he finished his shift and made his way back up Pakenham Road.

“It was about 8.45pm when we saw a large kangaroo on the left side of the road,” Leading Senior Constable Templar said.

“We slowed down, but there were two other kangaroos that we didn’t see that jumped across the road. One of them struck the right side of the front panel, causing considerable damage.

“Then I got in my own car and a huge kangaroo jumped in front of me and totalled the front. I couldn’t believe it.

“There’s been a series of incidences like this – not only are these animals in danger, but they’re causing a traffic hazard.

“They have nowhere to go and are ending up on our roads.”

Cardinia Council said the local government body is working on developing wildlife corridors to forge a safe pathway for kangaroos to access habitable grassland unimpeded.

“Council shares the community’s concern for the welfare of kangaroos and other wildlife impacted by growing communities,” Cardinia Shire’s acting general manager for assets and services, Debbie Tyson said.

“To ensure plants and animals have a chance to exist alongside community, modern residential planning now aims to build wildlife corridors into developments.

“This safeguards the biodiversity of our flora and fauna, protecting our natural heritage from becoming locally extinct.

“It also enhances the connection between our communities and the natural environment, which has benefits for the health and liveability of communities.”

Ms Tyson admitted that the corridors are not always foolproof and that wild animals can at times wander into residential areas.

“Whilst wildlife corridors provide many benefits to other animals, our native flora and the community, it is possible that some animals will enter subdivisions and become disorientated.

“Residents who come across kangaroos in the urban area are encouraged to contact Wildlife Victoria for information, advice and assistance.”

Kangaroos are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, making it illegal to reduce their numbers.

“Council recognises that some species of wildlife, including kangaroos, can be problematic when interacting with the community.

“However, kangaroos are protected, and relocation programs require special approval from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and are costly due to the very mobile nature of kangaroos.

“Slow-moving species such as wombats or echidnas can be easily caught but kangaroos are highly mobile and are extremely difficult for wildlife rescue volunteers to capture. It is not uncommon for a kangaroo to have moved to a different location between the time a resident has reported it and the time Wildlife Victoria can get to the reported location.”