Fore!: Urban Development, Kangaroos, and Golf Courses
As urban areas replace natural habitat, many species of wildlife are being forced to adapt to developed surroundings. Mammals that manage to survive, and even thrive, in urban areas are usually small animals, such as birds and mice. This article, published in animals, examines the possibility of a much larger animal—the 100-pound Eastern Grey Kangaroo—successfully making its home in the city.
It reports on results from the first six years of a long-term study of a group of kangaroos residing on and around a golf course in Angelsea, Australia. Researchers captured and tagged 360 kangaroos and monitored their population numbers, movements, and mortality rates. Though results are still preliminary, the researchers have already made some notable discoveries. They found that while the kangaroos’ overall population density declined over the length of the study (largely as result of mortality of young kangaroos), the densities were equal to or higher than densities recorded in other, less urban, areas. The leading cause of death for adult kangaroos has been found to be due to vehicle collisions. Males were significantly more likely to be struck because they tended to roam throughout the city, while females stayed on the golf course—indicating that the kangaroos were maintaining their normal mating behaviors.
The article concludes that the golf course and surrounding area, or “urban matrix,” provides a suitable habitat in which kangaroos are able to live. The researchers are currently running an additional study using GPS collars to gather more specific data, particularly regarding factors related to population decline. The authors of this study are also using their findings to reduce kangaroo-vehicle collisions by identifying locations and time periods when they are more likely to occur.
http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/4/2/272