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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 32(7)

Effectiveness of the eastern grey kangaroo foot thump for deterring conspecifics

Helena Bender
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Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia. Email: h.bender@zoology.unimelb.edu.au

Wildlife Research 32(7) 649-655 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR04091
Submitted: 1 October 2004  Accepted: 22 September 2005   Published: 24 November 2005

Abstract

Overabundant wild populations of herbivores often present challenges to primary industry, competing with stock, and damaging crops and property. Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) are one of seven macropodid species that are considered a problem in agriculture in Australia. Most deterrent devices available commercially use sounds that do not occur in nature (i.e. artificial sounds), which often have a short-lived or no effect on the target species, whereas trials with biologically significant sounds are often more effective and provide greater resistance to habituation. I used a playback trial of an eastern grey kangaroo foot thump, a biologically significant signal that is given in response to a predator and is usually followed by flight. I determined its effectiveness compared with a recording of background noise (control) for deterring kangaroos over a seven-week period. Kangaroos significantly increased their vigilance levels in response to the foot thump, but not in response to the control signal. Just over 60% of kangaroos took flight in response to the foot thump and the control signals, but more kangaroos took flight in the first 3 s when the foot thump was played. The foot thump shows potential as a deterrent of eastern grey kangaroos for primary industry, and is less likely to suffer from habituation because it is a natural sound.


Acknowledgments

I am greatly indebted to G. Maguire, who willingly took over fieldwork on very short notice. Many thanks to M. Padgham, K. Blackmeer, C. Nave, and others who volunteered their time and advice. I thank M. Littlejohn for loan of acoustic equipment, access to his laboratory, and helpful advice. I thank R. Dunn, N. Pratt and other Melbourne Water staff at Yan Yean for access to the catchment. I thank G. Coulson for being my mentor and providing helpful comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by the Holsworth Wildlife Fund and approved by the University of Melbourne Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee.


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