JUMPING kangaroo populations and how to deal with them has been an increasing topic of conversation in rural SA, with this spiking, alongside a substantial leap in numbers in 2017.
Even as drought brought numbers back, it also meant increased grazing pressure as paddocks destocked to conserve stock feed were taken over by mobs, while people in southern regions commented that numbers in their areas seemed to be increasing, as kangaroos sought more food.
A new partnership has been formed, led by the SA Arid Landscapes Board, alongside a number of other Landscape Boards, conversation groups, field processor representatives and landholders, to find a new approach to dealing with this problem.
With funding across the next two years - and plans to extend further - the project will appoint a kangaroo coordinator, who will be tasked with seeking out new strategies, with the support of experts and science to back them up.
While the project has got some strange bedfellows, proponents of the project say this job is too big to be tackled by any individual and a coordinated effort is necessary.
SA Arid Lands Landscape Board presiding member Ross Sawers said a coordinated approach would go a long way to restoring the landscape and increasing resilience of the areas affected by overabundance of kangaroos, while also considering the welfare of the animals.
"History has shown that individual approaches do not provide the best results when dealing with overabundance of kangaroos," he said.
"The establishment of a Kangaroo Management Partnership is an important step in developing a unified approach and working through the issues and opportunities relating to overabundance of kangaroos."
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