Doreen woman films kangaroos in Laurimar Boulevard
It’s a running joke we tell overseas visitors — that kangaroos are a familiar sight on our streets. But a Doreen woman says they are rampant in her estate, and while out one night captured on camera at least a dozen roos. WATCH THE VIDEO.
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Melbourne’s driest recorded start to the year is forcing scores of kangaroos to wander into front yards and lurk on the sides of roads in their search for food and water.
Andrew Cameron, a volunteer with The Wildlife Rescuers, said the Bundoora-based group was “flat out” every day responding to calls for roos hit by cars in Melbourne’s outer north.
“We will get four or five calls a night and that is before midnight, and then the next morning we will be inundated with more calls for kangaroos hit during the peak-hour rush,” he said.
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Mr Cameron said many large male roos were struck by vehicles in Doreen’s residential estates, near Hawkstowe station and outside San Carlo Homes for the Aged in South Morang.
He said the animals were in search of grass along thoroughfares and in front yards because it was greener and filled with more nutrients.
“Kangaroos can survive off dry grass but it does not have as many nutrients as green grass,” he said.
“Along roads grass is greener because of the run-off from whatever rain we have had and obviously people who water their front yards will also have greener grass.
“I haven’t seen anything like it before — we haven’t had such a dry spell for such a long time.”
Just 46mm of rain was recorded to April 24 this year.
The record low for January to April is 49.1mm in 1923.
Doreen’s Ree Welsh was supervising her daughter driving on April 21 about 9.30pm when she noticed kangaroos in the street, and starting filming them.
“The footage I took was an afterthought,” she said.
“There were so many roos out where we were, we were only driving about 10km/h through the streets to make sure none of them jumped out in front of us.”
Ms Welsh said she had never seen so many kangaroos wandering through her estate.
“They are on every corner we turn and eating everyone’s grass on their lawns,” she said.
“We have always seen them in the paddocks or the odd one coming down the street, but nothing like this.”
Steven Katsineris said it was a problem in Hurstbridge and Diamond Creek.
“They’re coming up to the nature strips and sticking around in ditches along the roads which collect water,” he said.
“It’s absolutely noticeable and such a problem — either they are jumping in front of cars or being chased by dogs which is also leading them onto roads.”
Mr Cameron urged drivers to be cautious and to slow down.
“If you hit a kangaroo or see an injured one then call it in — we’d rather receive 10 calls for the same animal than none at all,” he said.
“If you are a local in these areas just slow down a little on the roads — so many speed and that’s what is causing a lot of kangaroos to be hit.”
Anyone who sees an animal in distress should phone Wildlife Rescuers on 0417 506 941.