The Department of Conservation says someone is deliberately releasing wallabies on the West Coast. And while they might be cute, these Australian 'immigrants' could spell catastrophe for wildlife in the area.
South Westland Operations Manager Wayne Costello said there have been two reports of wallaby sightings made by people travelling State Highway 6, just south of Knights Point.
The sightings came as a surprise to the ranger, who believes they would have been deliberately brought to the area by humans.
“The nearest known population of wallabies is 80 kilometres away at the bottom of Lake Pukaki, but there’s a huge mountain chain along the way called the Southern Alps. These Wallabies have never been known to cross the Southern Alps.”
It’s illegal to have, hold, move, or transport wallabies without a permit. Anyone who breaches this law can face up to five years in prison and/or be fined up to $100,000.
Wallabies were first introduced to New Zealand in 1870 when Governor Sir George Grey shipped them from Australia to add to his collection of exotic animals. They were later released into other parts of the country for hunting.
But the marsupials eat the same shrubs and natives that endemic species eat making it harder for already endangered native species to survive.
“They cause damage to crops, they cause damage to fencing, and they cause damage to production forestry – so major problems."
'It's just a big mistake'
They’re also known as breeding machines.
Wallabies have two uteruses and can care for three young at the same time. It’s believed the wallaby sighted near Haast had a joey at its side, one in its pouch as well as being pregnant with another.
Aside from the damage to native wildlife, wallabies can cause millions of dollars worth of damage to farming and forestry by competing for the same pasture as sheep and fouling paddocks – making them impossible for farmers to use for feed.
The pest is a huge problem on the East Coast where they were released in the Hunter Hills in the 1870s. Since then, they’ve reached plague proportions, competing for food with domestic sheep and other domestic animals.
Costello had a message for New Zealanders.
“Just don’t shift a pest from one place to another place in New Zealand – it's just a big mistake.”
People can report wallaby sightings at www.reportwallabies.nz and Biosecurity
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