ECan wallaby programme leader Brent Glentworth said a recently completed eight-day hunt for wallabies in the Waitaki area had focused on the southern edge of the Waitaki River and on Kurow Hill.
"We’re doing this work to search for and reduce wallaby populations in these areas which are outside Canterbury’s wallaby containment area (bordered by the Waitaki, Rangitata and Tekapo river systems). It's part of our regular work programme under the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme.
"We will continue to have contractors searching areas outside of the Canterbury wallaby containment area over the next one to two years."
Mr Glentworth said between two and six highly-skilled ground-based wallaby control contracting staff and dogs had been used in the operation, which was carried out with skilled dog and rifle teams during daylight hours.
The search encompassed an area south of the Waitaki River between Kurow Creek and Bortons Pond.
Some fresh wallaby signs were located on Kurow Hill and a live wallaby was sighted but not shot.
"The landowner had ewes ready to lamb and that prevented our contractors continuing this search to destroy that wallaby. Our contractors will be returning following lambing to locate and control this wallaby.
"We are very pleased with the results, particularly on Kurow Hill, with only one wallaby located. This is down from 11 that were destroyed in the same area in 2022."
The public are urged to report any signs of wallabies to ECan.
"If anyone sees a wallaby outside of Canterbury’s containment area, dead or alive, please report it. If you see signs of wallaby, including footprints or scat (poo), you can report those too."
Report wallabies online via reportwallabies.nz or phone Biosecurity Timaru on 03 687 7800 or toll-free on 0800 324 636.
Bennett's wallabies were introduced to South Canterbury in 1874, and by the 1940s had become a significant pest.
