MELBOURNE - A mob of kangaroos trapped by development on Melbourne's northern fringe is to be freed.
Up to 50 Eastern Grey Kangaroos have been landlocked for several years on a block of land in Mill Park, surrounded by residential and industrial development.
The Department of Sustainability andEnvironment (DSE) today said the mob would be tranquillised and moved in small groups over the next few months to an area outside the city growth area.
The male kangaroos will also be sterilised to control population growth, while the DSE said it was investigating the possibility of sterilising the females.
DSE Biodiversity Manager for the Port Phillip Region, Mark Winfield, said kangaroos usually moved out of an area when food and water diminished, but in this case they had become landlocked.
He said several sites beyond the growth boundary were being investigated as potential relocation areas.
Wider issue of kangaroos in fringe development areas was also being examined by the DSE and councils on Melbourne's perimeter.
