Wallabies are causing serious damage to Otago’s environment, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) says, and we need to act fast to stop their spread.

ORC environmental implementation acting manager Libby Caldwell said wallabies are depleting forests and preventing native forest regeneration, competing with livestock for food, fouling pasture, and damaging agricultural crops and fences.

Sightings in Otago (most common in the Hāwea, North Otago, Maniototo, and Lindis areas) are on the increase for this fast-breeding pest, Libby said. 

Otago has the Bennett’s wallaby, the largest species, which stands up to 800mm tall. Adults can weigh from 15-25kg.

The ORC said it’s predicted the economic benefit to the South Island of eradicating wallabies would be more than $23.5M a year. Libby said if we don’t take action now, the cost to the economy will escalate to around $67M within 10 years. 

ORC is part of the Ministry for Primary Industries national wallaby eradication programme, working in partnership with others in a coordinated approach to eliminate wallabies from New Zealand.  

The ORC has six contractors undertaking winter eradication work with about 50 contract staff, using a mix of boots-on-ground and high-tech methods. 

Ground surveillance teams search using hunters and detection dogs during the daytime and at night drone operators use thermal image cameras to track wallabies down, working with a hunter on the ground and a dog wearing a transmitting collar. 

Helicopters equipped with thermal cameras are also used in early morning and late afternoon to search areas where sign has been detected, and in areas which are remote or inaccessible.  

Everyone is linked to an app which puts everything on the national wallaby database, so the teams can map the areas which have been searched. 

From the participating regions in MPI’s national programme, Otago is the closest to achieving eradication in the short to medium term - but success relies on the public reporting sightings, Libby said. 

You can report a wallaby sighting to the ORC here and a team will be dispatched to the area within 24 hours, she said. 

 PHOTO: ORC