Starving mobs of kangaroos raiding Australian capital Canberra for food
Sky news: The Australian city of Canberra has been overtaken by thousands of hungry kangaroos, who are raiding any patch of green grass they can find.
Scores have been spotted by residents dealing with the sudden influx of the “mob” – the term for a large group of kangaroos.
The capital city has more than 30 nature reserves, most of which are home to eastern grey kangaroos.
However, a dry and harsh winter has forced the animals out of their bush habitats and into the main city in search of food. Park rangers have been called to a record number of crashes in the suburbs involving the bouncing marsupials, according to a report by The Canberra Times.
There have already been 2,291 incidents so far this year – compared with 2,634 in the whole of 2017.
“The way we’re tracking, it’s likely we’re going to have more than 4,000 kangaroo incidents by the time the year is done,” Daniel Iglesias, director of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Parks and Conservation Service, told the newspaper.
“That is typical of dry years because these animals are under stress.
“They’re looking for food, which means they’re more mobile and it always ends up with more roadkill.”
He said Canberra is experiencing a perfect storm of hardship for its kangaroos.
“New records have been set in Canberra for very cold, frosty nights this winter,” Mr Iglesias told CNN.
“This, coupled with very dry conditions with very little rain at all in June and July, means there is very little food for kangaroos.
“Sports ovals, suburban yards, schoolyards and roadsides are the few places offering any green grass at all in Canberra at the moment and they act as magnets for kangaroos.”
Elsewhere in New South Wales, a family-of-three were woken by a kangaroo smashing through a bedroom window in Melbourne on Monday night.
“We were just sleeping and out of nowhere we just hear a big bang,” Mafi Ahokavo told Channel Nine television.