Biosecurity webinar: Effective wallaby management in NZ

Bennett’s wallaby were introduced to the South Island in 1874 for hunting but have since spread and increased in numbers and now cause significant damage to the environment, with some questioning if they are the possum problem of the 21st century. Many people are unaware that wallabies are found in our country, let alone that they are pests, damaging pasture and native vegetation.

In this webinar, Dave will discuss research that will help with efforts to eradicate isolated populations of wallabies that have managed to establish outside of the containment area delineated by Environment Canterbury. Dave will discuss the results from the research within the broader context of managing wallabies in New Zealand.

Dave will highlight technology, some of which was developed by Manaaki Whenua, that enabled this research project to robustly quantify different methods for surveying wallabies. This technology included custom-made GPS-collars deployed on wallabies that provided a continuous track of marked wallabies when surveys were done, thermal imaging cameras operated from a helicopter, and camera traps.

This event is brought to you by Manaaki Whenua as part of our Biosecurity Bonanza webinar series. We are New Zealand's Crown Research Institute (CRI) for our land environment. Our scientists undertake world-class science focused on New Zealand’s biodiversity, biosecurity, land resources and environment. We work with other Crown Research Institutes, universities, businesses and the wider science system to create impactful, relevant and useful research.

View the event website for more information.