Latest news with #kangaroos
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kangaroos suffering from ‘phalaris stagger' across drought-stricken region
An invasive weed, known as phalaris aquatica, is having a devastating impact on kangaroos - leaving them so sick they need to be euthanised. This is the moment a kangaroo was seen suffering from phalaris stagger on the side of a road. An invasive weed known as phalaris aquatica is having a devastating impact on kangaroos, leaving them so sick they need to be euthanized. Roos develop what's known as the phalaris stagger, a neurological condition that gives them tremors, makes them lose their balance, and collapse. Wildlife rescuer Kate Turner told Yahoo News 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. She said that's why it's the worst this season, because it's the only grass they've got access to. Fellow rescuer Leonie Sorrentino said it's really very sad and depressing to see. Practically everyone we attend to, we have to euthanize. It's horrific. It's a shocking way to die.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The silent roadside threat that's killing our kangaroos: 'A shocking way to die'
Chances are you've seen it by the roadside. Tall, dry grass that blends into its surroundings, particularly in rural parts of Australia. 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. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
News.com.au
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Sad sound in truckie video show brutal reality of Aussie roads
Disturbing video shared online by a heavy vehicle driving school has illustrated the great dangers involved for those piloting big rigs on Aussie roads. The raw footage, first put online by Ultimate Truckers and then shared by Macquarie Driving School, shows a female learner truckie forced to deal with a family of kangaroos that jump out in front of her truck on a rural road. The learner driver and her instructor are travelling along the wide, open road when a female adult kangaroo and two of her joeys hop out in front of her. The driver is urged to 'keep it straight' and not to attempt to avoid a collision with the revered native animals. The instructor can be heard repeating the commands to the trainee truckie before a loud clunk is heard. The instructor praises his student who replies: 'Yuck I hate that sound'. 'But I'm not going to jeopardise oncoming traffic and our lives for one kangaroo.' The mother kangaroo avoided being run down by the rig, but her joeys were not so lucky. HEARTBREAKING REALITY Macquarie Driving School instructor Michael Matta told Yahoo News, that while the reality of animals being killed on Australian roads was 'heartbreaking' it was best practice for those behind the wheel to keep the vehicle steady. Professional drivers and those driving on rural roads for work purposes are usually advised not to brake or try to avoid the animals, as illustrated in the Ultimate Truckers footage, but that best practice is simply to keep on driving in order to avoid a more serious accident and even a fatal one. In the footage shared, traffic can be seen coming in the other direction, a potential hazard if the truckie was to swerve. 'It's very bad to hit animals. Some of our drivers pull over and call wildlife services. But sometimes it's not practical or safe to stop,' he said 'If they hit the brakes as hard as they can that's not good because the vehicle can lose balance. If you swerve they could hit other cars around them. 'From the beginning drivers should always be scanning around, having good observation and not getting distracted but sometimes it's out of their hands. They can be driving at high speed and it can look like nothing is there then suddenly something jumps out in front of the road.' 10 MILLION KILLED EVERY YEAR According to a University of Melbourne study from last year, more than 10 million animals are killed on Australian roads each year. Certainly, it can be unusual to drive in rural Australia for more than a few kilometres on major highways and not see roadkill. Half the drivers surveyed for the report said they had hit animals including wallabies and deer in National Parks in NSW but most were not keen to drive more slowly or avoid driving at dawn or dusk when many animals are out searching for food Animal behaviouralists put kangaroos' bad road sense – just don't call it that – down to the fact they can't see vehicles properly but also their poor perception of how fast cars are travelling and hence the time they have to avoid them. According to insurance giant AAMI, animals collisions jumped 22 per cent year on year through to June 2024 – and that 54 per cent of drivers had been involved in an animal collision, with the majority happening on rural and regional roads. The research from AAMI found more than 40 per cent of Aussie drivers don't pay attention to wildlife warning signs, and most drivers (60 per cent) would dangerously swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with an animal, putting themselves and other drivers at risk. Kangaroos were the most common animal hit, via the study. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT The research found one in 10 Aussies don't know what they would do if they crashed into an animal. Just as worryingly, there doesn't seem to be any immediate solution available to the hazards posed by wildlife on our roads and drivers' reaction to them. The Melbourne Uni study said many drivers ignore warning signs and that wildlife whistles affixed to cars to alert animals can not be heard adequately above traffic noise. Fences and crossings can work but they are too costly to be widely implemented. It is hoped that increased advancements in anti-collision technology in vehicles could go some way to alleviating the situation. The above incident also highlights the mental demand places on Aussie truckies – two in three truckies feel unsafe on the road and a new mental health campaign featuring Shane Jacobson is targeting the crisis. 'We have some of the longest, long haul roads, the most isolated roads, literally, on planet Earth,' Jacobon said. 'These aren't great working conditions. They're good jobs, they're great jobs, but they're not great working conditions for mental health. So that's what we're here to combat, the kind of life of someone on the road.'
