I saw the same thing happen with Agile Wallabies at East Point. There had
originally been a golf course, and so feed and water was provided all year
around. Consequently, the wallabies bred until there was over a thousand in
a rather small area.
When the golf course closed, hay was provided so the wallabies wouldn't
starve. Then the hay ceased, and the wallabies began to eat everything in
sight, straying into nearby football fields and browsing on vulnerable
plants in the nearby monsoon vine thicket. They ventured onto verges and
roads where they were often hit by cars.
However, culling was opposed vigorously by various people.
I'll never forget the comment of a vet friend of mine. She had just
examined an East Point wallaby that, if I remember correctly, one of the
main people opposing culling had brought in. Lee told me (and her) that it
had died of starvation.
I don't get to East Point much these days, or read much about it, but last
I heard the Agile Wallaby population had crashed.
In Hawai'I locals oppose the culling of "pretty" but introduced birds. In
the Top End, again, locals opposed the removal of an invasive creeper
endangering a patch of monsoon forest, because it was "pretty".
Denise L Goodfellow
on 12/6/09 7:19 PM, Chris Brandis at wrote:
> Hi all
>
> Been reading the comments so adding my 2 bobs worth.
>
> NPs are at best a large zoo where the animals live within a fenced area. In
> good times they can breed up and when the times go bad have no where to go.
> Before white man the animals were hunted by man and beast and when one area
> was over utilised they could migrate to another, but they can not do that
> now. All the best areas are now under cultivation.
>
> So they eat out their limited environment and start to starve because we
> have altered the natural way things should work. If the animals were in a
> city zoo and starving there would be an out cry so why not if, because of us
> they are starving out there should some remedial action be taken by us to
> protect their environment.
>
> There were areas in Canberra during the drought where roos were denuding the
> reserves and there were no natural predators such as dingos to keep the
> balance with much damage to the whole eco system, including birds. The
> proposed culls were fought strongly with the result that many areas were
> left barren moon scapes and not a Hooded Robin in sight.
>
> We mucked it up so we are responsible to manage it for the best whole result
> but when ever does reason over come emotion.
>
> Cheers Chris
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