aniMALs around resevoirs, how did they get there ????

[bayman]

i noticed today driving past the happy valley resevoir, that there was a mob of kangaroos in there, now with it being fenced around the perimeter & barb wire on top of the fence, the obvious answer is they hopped over but can they hop that high ? so if not how did they get in or are there generation after generation in that area ?......from where i was they were grey kangaroos

[fish]

An interesting observation bayman. I don't know the reservoir or the area very well but I suspect that kangaroos can get in and out of the reservoir reserve with little difficulty - but not over the high barbed wire fence around the perimeter.

Firstly, I reckon they could get in and out at the vehicle entrance, particularly at night. Secondly, there may be access from downstream. Finally, the fence may be breached in some locations from time to time, either by access gates left open or some other break in the fence.

Having said this I find it surprising that kangaroos could or would venture to the reservoir area given the suburban development around the reservoir, particularly upstream. I'm thinking that the primary population of kangaroos are located downstream in the O'Halloran Hill and Marino Recreation Parks and other open space that extends virtually all the way to the coast.

Anyone have any local knowledge of this?

[dedja]

Is it not a tad ironic that the only reply to date has come from (a) fish?

[Wedgie]

The BIG issues get covered on SAFooty.net!

[AFLflyer]

There are loads of kangaroo's and koalas in this reservoir area. A few times I have seen one outside the fence trying to get back in and you can see the other ones they have been trying to get too.
Access would be from breaks in the fence lines or vehicle entrance as stated above, i reckon. But mostly they are be breeding well!
I've thought about this a bit, it would be a perfect idea to stock this area with native animals. Great area for animals, with the water trees etc.. Also plenty of redfin in the water , could be a tourist attraction, breeding ground etc.
check out the area on near map.
http://www.nearmap.com/ (type happy valley reservoir)
how good is near map by the way, 10x better than google maps.

[Sojourner]

And the answer is -----

They were moved there from the Pt Stanvac reserve when the refinery closed.

[steiger]

You can have a few thousand of them from over this way if you want em

[Psyber]

Animals find a way to get where they want to go, including digging under fences.
I had a large Koala in a tree in my backyard up here in the hills a few days a go, and I once met an Echidna wandering down the footpath in broad daylight in the main street of Kallista in Victoria.
I also spotted a Numbat at the Hahndorf Cemetery some years ago, about 6 months before the guy who started Warrawong announced he had bred them after they had been totally extinct in the area for years.

[Squawk]

Kangaroo Smugglers are responsible and these Kangas are being detained in the Happy Valley facility pending assessment of their claims.