Facts about Kawau Island wallabies
In about 1870, Sir George Grey, then Governor of New Zealand, liberated a variety of exotic birds and animals on the island, including wallabies. The wallabies thrived and became pests. Many other introduced species failed to survive, mainly due to a lack of vegetation caused by the wallabies.
Dama wallaby survive in large numbers
throughout Kawau Island
Four types of wallaby - the dama or tammar, pama, swamp and brush-tailed rock wallaby - are established on Kawau and today survive in large numbers throughout the island.
The future of Kawau's wallabies?
Two types of wallaby on Kawau are threatened species back home in Australia. To safeguard their future, DOC is working with Australian authorities to repatriate a sample of these wallabies to Australia. Until recently, live capture and export of wallabies, mainly to zoos overseas, was also taking place.