A mob of 40 kangaroos trapped in a Mernda paddock for two months will be returned to their home
THE supermarket owners of a paddock where a mob of about 40 kangaroos have been trapped for the past two months have agreed to get them home.
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WOOLWORTHS has committed to returning a mob of kangaroos stranded in a Mernda paddock to their home.
Woolworths regional development manager Don Foulds said the company was working with a consultant to “ensure” a plan to relocate the mob to Plenty Gorge was finalised.
It was hoped the plan would be signed off in about two weeks.
About 40 kangaroos had been trapped on the Woolworths owned land near the corner of Plenty and Bridge Inn Rds since Easter.
Stranded Mernda roos need to be relocated before they die
The announcement comes after two months of campaigning by wildlife volunteers and reports by Whittlesea Leader on the precarious future of the trapped mob.
Wildlife campaigner Krysti Severi said the decision followed positive discussions between campaigners, Woolworths, Whittlesea Council, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, LXRA and Parks Victoria.
“I’m not going to be breaking out the champagne until the last kangaroo has been taken home, but this is very good news,” Ms Severi said.
It was not yet known if officials would accept a proposal by campaigners to sedate and relocate the mob at the cost of $100.
While risks were minimal because the mob would return to land they had already inhabited, relocation could take 6-8 weeks depending on the reaction of the mob, weather and nearby development work, Ms Severi said.
It was crucial the relocation was complete before the nearby Mernda rail extension opened in September.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning environmental compliance regional manager Brian Wearne said the department was “actively working on the situation”.