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More than 400 wallabies have died this year across Cairns in a situation local ecologists are describing as ‘undeniably critical’.
Shai Ager, founder of The Agile Project, said while most deaths are from car strikes and dog attacks, the animals still trapped in Trinity Beach are now falling victim to disease.
Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease, is now sweeping through the population of about 700 agile wallabies remaining in the residential area, particularly the ones in the suburb’s sports fields.
Ms Ager said the wallabies are also ‘riddled’ with hookworm, have tapeworm and roundworm, and are lacking food in the confined area.
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“It has been devastating to watch these animals suffer, particularly over the past few weeks,” she said.
“Not only does this seem like an animal cruelty incident but also a community concern if people start contracting what these wallabies have.
“Some of our relocation and rescue volunteers have already caught hookworm and have had to medicate themselves to treat it.
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“The only real solution to what we’re facing is to reduce the number of animals in the area.”
Last year, Ms Ager and the Agile Project team were granted approval to move 400 wallabies to private bush blocks north and south of Cairns, in what will be Australia's largest ever macropod relocation.
In a delicate relocation process, the volunteers are now moving the final 250 animals under that permit, aiming to transfer as many as possible before the macropod breeds in the wet season.
“Despite trying to hold off until Cairns Council implement their promised fencing strategy, our relocation team has decided to begin again as we need to move these wallabies as quickly as we can,” Ms Ager said.
“To move 10 wallabies, our relocation team begins at 3am.
“We do it in the early hours of the morning because it’s cooler and lower temperatures lead to less stress for the animals.
“It requires eight volunteers with appropriate animal handling and treatment experience.
“The wallaby is removed from the trap, weighed, injected [with a sedative] and then hung in individual bags inside the van.
“We finish capture by 6am and start the drive to one of the release sites.”
The team also gives the animals worming medication to prevent the spread of disease.
The Agile Project group has offered to apply for another Damage Mitigation Permit from the state government to relocate a further 400 wallabies, pending funding from responsible government bodies.
Find an interactive map of recorded wallaby deaths this year here.
Head here if you’d like to donate to The Agile Project’s GoFundMe.
Main points
- The Agile Project is a group of Cairns-based volunteers which attends to sick, injured and orphaned wallabies
- The group have also been undertaking Australia's largest macropod relocation from the Northern Beaches
- The wallabies still stuck in residential areas are now falling ill to a parasitic disease and hookworm, as well as malnourishment
