Suspicions that wallabies are thriving in the Lindis Pass in Central Otago have been confirmed following the discovery of a dead wallaby on State Highway 8 about 33km from Omarama.
Department of Conservation (DoC) executive Paul Hondelink discovered the dead wallaby last month after a report from a motorist.
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staff working in the pass also reported several wallabies in the area this winter.
Mr Hondelink, the Wanaka biodiversity threats programme manager, said the wallabies were probably taken to the Lindis, possibly by hunters.
"There is no known population anywhere near this area and someone has put these animals there.
"The chances are, knowing how wallabies breed, that they could move right through the Lindis country," he said.
Mr Hondelink was concerned about the impact the pests might have on nearby farms, including competition for grazing and introduction of diseases.
A fringe element of the hunting fraternity had decided to "get even" with DoC's pest control and poisoning policies and had been accused of liberating wild animals in new locations.
- NZPA
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
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