DAY one of the Bathurst Kangaroo Project yesterday was a success, according to organisers, as two eastern grey kangaroos were darted and tagged.
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The project aims to dart and tag 30 macropods in the Mount Panorama precinct over the next few weeks, in preparation for the University of Technology (UTS) Sydney Bathurst kangaroo research program.
Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital’s Dr James Hunter volunteered his time to the project and was on site yesterday providing veterinary supervision during the darting and tagging.
“It was a big male. We darted him and took some DNA samples and measurements,” he said of the program’s first succ-essful kangaroo tagging.
Centre for Compassionate Conservation general manager Louise Boronyak-Vasco said the sex, size and health of each kangaroo will be assessed during the program.
They will also be fitted with a GPS collar and digital tracking ear tag that allows them to be monitored into the future.
“It allows us to get a better handle on the demographic and sex ratio so we can run models on future populations,” she said.
The movement of kangaroos will also be mapped and overlapped with human activities across the precinct.
“It’s never been done before and we’re trying to see the parts of interaction and when these need to be managed,” Ms Boronyak-Vasco said. “We’re also trying to understand people’s reactions to kangaroos.
“We don’t have a good understanding of the kangaroo populations in this area.”
Once the 30 kangaroos have been tagged, thermal drones will also be used in the area in coming months to help further track their movements.
Bathurst Kangaroo Project’s Helen Bergen said the project was developed in response to claims the area was overpopulated by kangaroos.
Volunteers are still required for the project to help monitor kangaroos as they recover from the tranquilliser.
“It takes three to four hours for them to recover and people will be recording their recovery, behaviour,” Mrs Bergen said.
To volunteer your time to the project, call Helen Bergen on 0423 405 993 or email hbergen@tpg.com.au.
Dr Hunter said Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital staff will be on site and on call throughout the program as the macropods are tagged.
