The silent roadside threat that's killing our kangaroos: 'A shocking way to die'
But this invasive weed, known as phalaris aquatica, is having a devastating impact on kangaroos — leaving them so sick they need to be euthanised. Roos develop what's known as the "phalaris stagger", a neurological condition that gives them tremors, makes them lose their balance and collapse.
Wildlife rescuers told Yahoo News they're seeing more cases than ever before, and are calling for more to be done.
"This is the worst phalaris season I've ever seen," Kate Turner, founder of Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter, said. She calls it the "cockroach of the grass world".
Kate recently found a roo and her joey suffering from 'phalaris stagger' on the side of a road. The mum was so afflicted she could barely walk and needed to be euthanised. The joey is now in Kate's care, and while she's missing her mum, she's "doing well".
Kate said the current drought conditions in the Hume region have resulted in a takeover of phalaris, as it's more hardy and will "outgrow" native grasses.
"That's why it's the worst this season, because it's the only grass they've got access to," she said.
Fellow rescuer Leonie Sorrentino from Wildlife Rescuers agreed that there have been "a lot more" cases this year.
She told Yahoo the kangaroos also get more aggressive than usual when they're affected by phalaris, which can make rescues harder and more dangerous.
"They seem to have like a superhuman strength," she said.
"There seems to be a ferocity to them. They're just very sensitive to touch. They growl a lot more. It's completely different to a normal rescue.
"It's really very sad and depressing to see. And of course, sometimes if we can't get close enough, we have to actually wait [to euthanise] until they get a lot worse."
Leonie said without intervention, the roos would eventually succumb to the disease and become 'fox bait' as they would no longer be able to outrun the predators.
"Practically everyone we attend to, we have to euthanise. It's horrific. It's a shocking way to die."
Phalaris aquatica is commonly used as a pasture crop to feed livestock. And while the phalaris staggers can also affect farm animals, giving them cobalt or spraying it on the grass helps to protect them from the effects of the toxins.
Weed science professor at the University of Queensland Bhagirath Chauhan said phalaris is a fast-growing, resilient weed with seeds that can take a long time to germinate.
"So it means even if you can stop the seed production in this season, you will get these plants in the next three to four years, definitely," he said.
Phalaris can grow up to 150cm tall, and it's their height that gives them an advantage over native grasses by blocking out sunlight.
He said the seeds are usually spread through water, wildlife or even by machinery used to cut the grass.
Because of its popularity in agriculture, Chauhan believes phalaris will never be eradicated but said it would make a huge difference to focus on managing its spread.
"I think we need to emphasise that we need to stop allowing it to go out of the fenced area, because otherwise it becomes a real problem," he said.
Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action [DEECA] works with a number of agencies across the state, like VicRoads, Parks Victoria and local councils to help control phalaris.
DEECA Chief Biodiversity Officer and Director of the Arthur Rylah Institute James Todd told Yahoo each location needs to be assessed to decide how best to manage the weed.
'DEECA partners with Traditional Owners and government agencies to target invasive weeds including Phalaris aquatica on public land across Victoria using a range of techniques including herbicide spraying, slashing and ecological burning," DEECA Chief Biodiversity Officer and Director of the Arthur Rylah Institute, James Todd told Yahoo.
'Given the sensitivity of some native species to spraying and inability of some sites to be treated with burning there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating weeds on public land.'
Most of the carers in Australia are volunteers who give their own time, money and petrol into saving injured wildlife.
If you would like to donate to the rescuers mentioned in this story you can find their details below.
Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter
Account Name: Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter
Account Number: 159658038
BSB: 633-000
Wildlife Rescuers
To donate to Wildlife Rescuers, click here.
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