Wildlife group raises concerns for wallabies, joeys running rampant at Carlyle Gardens

Video has emerged of an aggressive wallaby chasing an elderly man at a North Queensland retirement village as he desperately tried to get inside his home.

Video has emerged of an aggressive wallaby chasing an elderly man at a North Queensland retirement village, as a Townsville wildlife group says more needs to be done to protect the animals.

Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village has been plagued by issues of animal attacks for years.

Graham Gransden has lived in the Condon village for more than 12 years, but has witnessed the ongoing problem drag on for decades.

His wife Suzanne was twice targeted by wallabies in the past year.

Carlyle Gardens resident Graham Gransden has recorded a close encounter with an aggressive wallaby, months after his wife's shoulder was fractured in an attack by the animal.

One of the attacks caused Mrs Gransden to fall, resulting in a hairline fracture in her shoulder blade.

Mr Gransden said the effects of the attacks still plague his wife, and that she was constantly nervous after the “traumatic” incidents.

But last month Graham had yet another close encounter with the animals — this time while he was going to water a neighbour’s garden.

Holding a watering can and stick in one hand, and his phone in the other, Graham was able to capture the moment one wallaby sized up to him before following him to his own garden.

Suzanne Gransden was attacked in September and December 2021 by wallabies at Carlyle Gardens in Condon.

Mr Gransden said he had to hit the stick on the side of his house to scare the animal away, which then retreated.

Mr Gransden said he felt his most recent concerns had once again fallen on the deaf ears of management.

“They asked us ‘do you know which one it is?” Mr Gransden said.

It’s come to the point where Mr Gransden is looking at forking out up to $1500 to install a fence around his back veranda.

“She (Suzanne) doesn't feel secure … she gets that nervous,” he said.

A Carlyle Gardens newsletter seen by the Bulletin stated between August 19 to September 30 this year, 99 wallabies had been ‘walked out’ of the village.

The Bulletin also earlier this year reported Carlyle Gardens resident George Church, 85, split his head open after he fell backwards while fighting one of the animals off with his thong.

George Church was injured after using his thongs to fight off a wallaby near his home at Carlyle Gardens. Picture: Evan Morgan

Walk-throughs have previously been completed to shift the wallabies from the residential area, back into undeveloped areas – but the animals quickly return due to inadequate fencing.

But North Queensland Wildlife Care President Oscar Cole said the walk-throughs were “essentially useless” and resulted in joeys being ejected from their mother’s pouches and even cause broken limbs, or induced cardiomyopathy – which is impossible to treat.

Mr Cole said an estimated 30 wallabies were rescued from Carlyle Gardens each year, a handful of which were joeys.

“For those joeys … they have an approximate 75 per cent chance of survival,” he said.

The NQWC has over the years completed two paid relocations at the village, but the practice which involves sedatives is highly expensive and labour intensive, Mr Cole said.

George Church had to fight off a wallaby when he went to check his mail at Carlyle Gardens. Picture: Evan Morgan

A UnitingCare spokeswoman said Carlyle Gardens had resubmitted an application to the Department of Environment and Science to relocate the animals, which was pending approval.

They said walk-throughs would continue until the outcome was known, and that there had been “no known” injuries to animals or staff during the processes.

One of the wallabies that roam the streets of Carlyle Gardens. Picture: Evan Morgan

The Bulletin understands that after questions were raised to UnitingCare, the organisation made contact with NQWC to arrange a meeting.

A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said wildlife officers had previously offered advice to Carlyle Gardens management about wallaby management options including the installation of exclusion fencing.

The spokesman urged people not to feed or approach the animals.

Originally published as Wildlife group raises concerns for wallabies, joeys running rampant at Carlyle Gardens