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Tree-kangaroos hop to SafetyWill artificial trees help roos on the move?By Julie Olsen The dangers of traveling over open country could soon be reduced for the rare Lumholtz's tree kangaroo, thanks to a novel approach reported in a leading ecosystem restoration journal, Ecological Management & Restoration. Wildlife ecologists have joined forces with local community groups and landholders to erect a series of shelter poles in open grassland on the Atherton Tableland, north Queensland. They hope the structures will provide safe passage for tree-kangaroos making the risky dash from one patch of rainforest to another. "Tree-kangaroos are capable of traversing long distances across grassland, but they are vulnerable to dog attacks out in the open", says Nigel Tucker from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Centre for Tropical Restoration. "The problem stems from the fact that many landholders are reluctant to plant corridors of native vegetation on their productive land." Forced to find an alternative, the team looked to nature for inspiration. The solution - although temporary - was simple and inexpensive. Instead of trees, old electricity poles were erected at 30-40 metre intervals. And to give the tree-kangaroos something to rest on, cross-bars, positioned about five metres up, were bolted onto each pole. Artificial habitat structures, such as poles, platforms and nest-boxes, have long been part of the management of captive animals. It's only in the last few decades, spurred on by plummeting populations and habitat decline, that they've made the leap to conservation in the wild. But will wild Lumholtz's tree kangaroos accept this artificial leg up? If they do, the team expects to discover their distinctive scats and scratches. However, use of the poles is likely to be episodic at best, according to Dr John Kanowski from the Rainforest Cooperative Research Centre. "They are most likely to be sub-adults who've left their mothers to establish a territory", he said. If the trial is successful, shelter poles could become a regular feature on the Atherton Tablelands in cleared or newly planted areas. The team, however, does not consider them a long-term substitute for natural habitat. In most cases planting trees, even isolated trees, will be a better move, they said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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