Capture and collaring
Two capture methods were trialled at our first site: (1) aerial netting, and (2) ground set nets. From four hours of flying we managed to put a net over about 20 wallabies but, because of their shape with small front limbs, most were able to escape capture. We ended up capturing and collaring 7 wallabies. Unfortunately one of these died soon after release (we believe from capture myopia). We tried ground netting for two nights, but managed to only capture one wallaby and this unfortunately died because of a capture injury. The aerial netting was restricted to the higher country where the shorter tussock enabled the nets to be fired without hanging up on vegetation. All wallabies caught at this elevation were males. The one wallaby captured in the ground-set net at lower elevation was a female. We have now worked with Landcare Research's Animal Ethics Committee to develop an alternative handling method, to try and reduce any capture mortality.
A Bennetts wallaby entering a ground-set net. this animal managed to turn around and escape
Reloading a net gun in the higher elevation short-tussock grassland
