Perilous times for wildlife amid severe drought
Joeys are being rescued as mothers abandon them because they can't provide enough food More are being hit and killed by vehicles as they go onto roads in search of food during mating season These birds have been found weak or injured after chasing mice near roads eyes are unable to cope with full sunlight,” said Walker, of NSW rescue group WIRES.
From 2016, WIRES has recorded a 52 percent increase in the number of macropods rescued, and a whopping 81 percent jump for wombats. It could be much higher in inland areas not frequented by people, Walker said.
In northwest NSW, Kingsford has seen a collapse in the kangaroo population of more than 90 percent.
For farmer Alison McLean, who runs tourism project The Long Paddock to draw visitors to the agriculture-dependent region, the sharing of habitats between native animals and humans doesn’t have to be a negative experience.
“They are coming closer, which actually gives people an opportunity to see them, as long as they practice safedriving,” McLean said.
“It’s pretty amazing to see mobs of 30 emus go past you, which is what we see quite regularly and yet we still stop and take photos of it.”
With no end to the drought in sight, Kingsford is hopeful governments will take measures to protect vulnerable species, such as keeping farm livestock out of national parks so that wildlife has a food source during the dry spells.