Kangaroo survey takes to the sky over northern agricultural areas
Department for Environment and Water (DEW) staff will take to the skies over the state’s northern agricultural areas this week as part of an aerial survey of kangaroo populations.
From Wednesday 17 through to Friday 26 August, the survey plane will fly in east-west transects 250 feet above the Southern Flinders, Murray Mallee, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula regions.
DEW’s Senior Kangaroo Ecologist, Dr Amanda McLean, said this is the third stage of the annual state-wide kangaroo survey, and follows similar surveys over the south east and pastoral regions of South Australia.
“The data collected will be used to estimate kangaroo populations in these areas to support the release of sustainable harvest quotas for the commercial kangaroo industry,” Dr McLean said.
“DEW supplements the aerial survey with predictive population models to determine kangaroo harvest quotas for the five harvest regions across the state.
“Surveying indicates that kangaroo populations largely respond to climatic conditions, with populations generally decreasing during droughts and recovering in good conditions.
“This year, we also used thermal imaging cameras in the lower south east where vegetation is particularly dense, so we can get a more accurate detection of animals that may be partially obscured by vegetation.”
More information about kangaroo management: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/plants-and-animals/Abundant_species/kangaroo-conservation-and-management
