Border kangaroo crash worry

That is expected to worsen in coming weeks as the animals go searching for green grass on nature strips.

Volunteers with Murray River Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) are caring for seven joeys after their mothers were recently struck and killed by cars.

WIRES’ warning comes as NRMA Insurance’s latest figures reveal 34 crashes in the Albury area in 2014 involving kangaroos.

That compares with 26 in 2012 and 32 in 2013, though well below Wagga’s figures for the past three years of 64, 88 and 60.

Secretary Hazel Cook said it was important that motorists called WIRES straight away.

“We are a 24 hours a day, seven days a week service,” she said.

“The ones that get hit and end up with us are usually down Pemberton Street in West Albury.”

Mrs Cook said there were simply too many joey kangaroos being cared for lately.

“We’ve had probably six joey kangaroos reported in the past week,” she said.

“Some of them have been too small, what we call pinkies, and we had to euthanase.

“And sometimes people get them and feed them things like powdered milk, which is no good.

“We’ve also had a baby wombat after its mum was killed.”

Mark French from Albury crash repairer BF Panels said the number of kangaroo crashes “has been pretty consistent”.

“We’re doing plenty of quotes for roo-damaged cars,” he said.

“And it can be quite expensive at times, depending on the area of the car that’s hit.”

Mrs Cook said the best thing a motorist could do was get the dead animal off the road.

“We need someone game enough to look into the pouch of the deceased animal and then we can come out straight away and get them.”

WIRES volunteer Christine Fowler regularly looks after kangaroo joeys, one of her latest a nine-month-old.

“At this smaller size they can be with people in town, but in another month or so my little girl Hollee needs to go out to a carer on a property.

“That’s where they can start to socialise with other kangaroos.”