Mernda mob face move to paddock full of grass poisonous to kangaroos

An ecologist who came up with a plan to move a mob of Mernda kangaroos trapped in a paddock for more than a year now says the relocation must be stopped.

Disturbing footage has emerged showing a kangaroo poisoned by toxic grass on land proposed as the relocation site for a mob trapped on Woolworths land in Mernda.

The video shows a large male kangaroo known as ‘Jerry’ stumbling around and twitching at Plenty Gorge in Mernda.

Australian Society for Kangaroos president Nikki Sutterby said volunteers were “euthanising more and more roos in the gorge” because they had consumed the toxic grass Phalaris.

Consumption of Phalaris by kangaroos, sheep and cattle causes neurological and cardiac problems including staggering, heart attacks and sudden death.

Some of the kangaroos due to be relocated to Plenty Gorge.

A paddock of Phalaris.

In June the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) approved a plan to relocate a mob of about 20 kangaroos stranded in a paddock to the gorge which is 30m away.

Krysti Severi at a Mernda site where kangaroos have been stuck for a year. Picture: Rob Leeson.

But Ray Mjadwesch, the ecologist who drafted the relocation plan recommending Plenty Gorge as an appropriate home for the mob last August said he told DELWP the gorge was no longer safe, due to a Phalaris outbreak last September.

Ecologist Ray Mjadwesch.

“I had noted several animals exhibiting symptoms of toxicity (shaking, poorly co-ordinated), and quite a few dead kangaroos laying around the grass at Plenty Gorge,” he said

Phalaris was “extremely prevalent” in the gorge, he said.

Without the removal of Phalaris from the gorge kangaroos would “almost certainly be affected in time, and its effect is always fatal”, he said.

Mr Mjadwesch said when he advised DELWP staff visiting the site on September 18 of the need to treat the gorge for Phalaris prior to moving the kangaroos their department staff made a joke.

“They made a joke of it — something along the lines of ‘well then if we leave it long enough we won’t have to worry about it’ (relocating the Mernda animals),” Mr Mjadwesch said.

DELWP regional compliance manager Leigh Bryant said the department rejected the assertion that any conversation was held around DELWP’s preference to leave the kangaroos in the paddock.

Agriculture Victoria documents describe Phalaris as “widespread across most of Victoria”.

Parks Victoria did not respond to a question from Leader about whether it was treating Phalaris in Plenty Gorge.