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On Television |
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Trouble looms when 'roos
come seeking food in town
of TheColumnists.com
Australia’s national symbol is the kangaroo. So it is a bit surprising to hear that many in the land Down Under’s national capital city of Canberra are fed up with marsupials and condone the “culling” (killing) of many of them.
This issue is taken up in a new episode of PBS' "Nature," scheduled at 8 P.M., Wednesday night (Jan. 12), on most PBS stations. (Check your local station guide for exact times and dates in your area.)
But what has brought many to change their feelings about this beloved symbol? Simply put: kangaroos invading city life. In the last 50 years the population of the eastern gray kangaroos living in the hills around Canberra has exploded from a few hundred to tens of thousands.
Why? Fifteen years of drought. With the
drought the marsupials have ventured from their native hilly
terrain into the city and its suburbs seeking food, abundant
in residential areas as well as parks and ball yards. The average
mature kangaroo eats five to six pounds of grass a day. Not a
problem when their natural habitat in the
hills is filled with greenery. But when drought occurs, the best
source of food tends to be in the areas inhabited and cultivated
by humans.
In addition, much of the grassland that has been the grazing ground for kangaroos has been developed for housing as the capitol city sprawled out from its center. Again, this means fewer areas for the ‘roos to find grass to feed upon.
The invasion of these so-called “metropolitan
marsupials” has also caused many auto accidents as the ‘roos
venture across busy highways in search of food. One report says
$1 million was paid out in insurance claims caused by kangaroo-vehicle
accidents. There also have been incidents where a kangaroo knocked
down a jogger and another when one broke through the window of
a house and into the bedroom of a sleeping
couple. Not the actions of what most of us think are typical
of a kangaroo.
Many Canberra area residents have had their fill of the hopping critters and support reducing their numbers via “culling.” The killing of the mature male (the larger of the marsupials) is done at night by trained sharp shooters. Again, many support this program, but many others oppose it. And the debate is heated on both sides.
“Kangaroo Mob” takes a look at the problems caused by these urban kangaroos and tags along as two government ecologists track 25 kangaroos using GPS devices to monitor their comings and goings and to try to figure out a way to manage their burgeoning numbers without the controversial “culling.”
Can the kangaroos be relocated? Or what about forced contraception?
Many ideas, few solutions. But an interesting and thought-provoking hour of television.
©2012 by Donna J. Plesh. The illustration is courtesy of PBS. This column first posted Jan. 9, 2012.
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