Researchers are looking to the people on the front line of dealing with the potential impact of kangaroo popluations on rural production hoping to reveal solutions worth sharing.
Picture: mastersky/Adobe Stock
Although a major drawcard for tourism and playing a practical role in fertilising nutrient-poor soils and spreading seeds, kangaroos are not often welcome in our rural production landscapes, where they may impact farm productivity. Many farms across Australia seek to keep kangaroos out or shoot them as part of pest management.
Now a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) research team is surveying commercial Australian farmers from across Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia, and Victoria to find out and share how they manage kangaroos on their properties by participating in either an online survey or one-on-one interview.
The research aims to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding the interactions between kangaroos and land management practices; learn about the diverse experiences and challenges farmers face; and ultimately unearth and share solutions for how farmers can manage kangaroos while running successful farms.
“We want to learn more about the opinions of farmers towards kangaroos on their properties and the challenges faced,” said UTS TD School Associate Professor Daniel Ramp.
“We hope to unearth new and novel approaches currently being used by farmers to manage kangaroo populations so that we can share these learnings.”
The survey is aimed at commercial farmers – those who operate on a commercial scale and/or depend on their farming enerprise as a primary source of income and who have kangaroos on their farms. There are two ways to particpate:
• An online survey available on this link
• A one-on-one interview, register via this form
For more information on the project email kangaroosurvey@uts.edu.au