We had some great news from Joel Bloom (Post Office Hill Action Group). Some years ago the late Dough Ralph & FOBIF advocated for the inclusion of a wildlife underpass in the construction of the freeway. Joel discovered that it is well used. He had been exploring the Taradale/Metcalfe Calder Fwy wildlife underpass area and found that wombats are using it (lots of tracks & scats), along with roos and deer (piles of deer poos!). In related news, he saw a mother and joey wombat on Golden Point Road, Chewton. Even more reason to slow down on the roads, particularly at night.
Joel Bloom
Taradale/Metcalfe Calder Fwy wildlife underpass
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
That is great news
Good to hear that the underpass is being made use of by wildlife however the presence of deer is a major concern. There are no species of deer that are native to Australia. Deer are still partly protected but there are efforts to control their numbers. They should be classified as a feral animal. Without control their population will double approximately every 2 years. They can cause enormous amounts of damage to native forests, plantations, farms and orchards.
Please report all deer sightings or indications of their presence (bark rubbings, scats, wallows, etc) on Deerscan https://feralscan.org.au/deerscan/default.aspx using the website or downloadable app. You need a logon to report sightings but the app is free to use.