Roos’ horror holiday
Increase in cars deadly for wildlife
ANIMAL rescuers are pleading with motorists to slow down on Surf Coast roads, with dozens of kangaroos and wallabies killed in the opening week of the school holidays.
Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue’s Jason Cichocki said he attended to a “large increase” in incidents of kangaroos and wallabies killed on the roads around the region last week.
“Within five days, from Friday to Wednesday, more than 35 kangaroos and wallabies had been hit and killed by cars,” Mr Cichocki said.
“Not only that but there’s been a lot more possums and birds also hit on the roads too.
“On one of our recent patrols on Forrest Rd, I came across a poor little roo who had been hit so badly that I had trouble moving her off the road.”
Mr Cichocki said Forest Rd in Anglesea, and the “mad mile” between Bellbrae and
Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road were hot spots for kangaroo deaths, with 240 collisions with kangaroos on Forrest Rd recorded last year.
A dozen kangaroos and wallabies were killed on Forrest Rd within 48 hours last weekend, Mr Cichocki said.
“It has been about a year or more since we’ve had a spike like this on Forrest Rd,” he said.
“Add the several others attended to across the region, and it made for one of the worst and saddest weekends of the year.”
Mr Cichocki said recent rainfall and a full moon had prompted kangaroos to move around the region a lot more.
He said he expects the increase in animal collisions to continue as more visitors use the roads during the school holiday period.
If you hit a kangaroo or wallaby, or find one injured, call Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue’s 24/7 help line on 0422 048 557.