| Abstrakt: |
It is generally agreed that the provision of artificial watering points has allowed populations of large kangaroos to increase in the arid and semi-arid rangelands. This study examines the effectiveness of a selective watering device, known as a 'Finlayson Trough', that is designed to exclude kangaroos but allow sheep to drink. The device is a low-lying electrified wire that surrounds a trough and is overstepped by sheep but contacted by a kangaroo's feet or tail. Of the 292 observed attempts at drinking by red kangaroos (Macropus rufis), 99% were unsuccessful. Most shocks were received through the feet. Of the 309 observed attempts at drinking by sheep, minor shocks to the legs were received in 17% of cases. These resulted in only short-term disruptions to drinking. Finlayson Troughs could be used humanely to facilitate commercial kangaroo harvesting by exploiting local concentrations of kangaroos around watering points; to control the distribution of kangaroos in sensitive regenerating areas; or, by gradual implementation, to allow kangaroos to adjust their behaviour to accommodate fewer artificial watering points. |
