Kangaroo rescued from building site reveals gut-wrenching dilemma

As Australia’s housing shortage worsens, humans and wildlife are competing for the same land, leaving wildlife rescuers and councils with a difficult dilemma.

This week, a kangaroo was found "caked in mud" and unable to escape from a two metre deep hole after a building site lacked effective safety fencing to around its perimeter to protect wildlife.

Concerned locals first flagged the "30 kilogram boy" was distressed and injured before wildlife rescuer Krysti Severi was called to the new construction site in Diamond Creek — situated northeast of Melbourne — on Wednesday night.

“It was horrible, he was down a big hole unable to get out despite his desperate efforts," she told Yahoo News Australia. "He had worn down a big toenail from trying to claw his way out and his eyes were damaged and starting to ulcer."

The wildlife rescuer required a member of the public to "hold her legs" while she climbed into the hole head first to administer a sedation, before wrapping a rope "around his arms and across his chest" to hoist the roo out.

"He was clawing at my arms as if to say, 'Please help me'," Krysti explained. "He was panic-stricken."

After successfully removing him from the hole, the wildlife rescuer confirmed the "exhausted" kangaroo is currently recovering well.

Lack of safety fencing posed deadly risk not only to wildlife

Krysti believes the lack of safety measures also put "wandering" children at risk and admitted many others, not just the kangaroo, could have fallen victim to the exposed hole, which she believes was some kind of foundation for a developing residential property.

"What if you've got some kids out and about, we all know what kids are like … All it takes is one foot misplacement and a child is down a two metre hole head first. That hole had water in it — you can drown in just 15 centimetres of water," she said, saying there were multiple holes in the one area where the animal was stuck.

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She slammed the council for the lack of temporary safety fencing surrounding the construction site. After getting in touch with them, they directed her to the developer to notify them of the issue, however, Krysti choose not to disclose the company name.

Developments continue to impact kangaroo mobs across Australia

This is the latest example of how new developments around the country are impacting kanagroos, forcing them to be driven away from their land. One fifth of a large Sydney mob were recently killed in the one weekend after six members, including a joey, were struck by vehicles on a nearby highway.

Drastic measures, such as tricky logistical relocations or even culling, are suggested when developers take over land which kangaroos reside in, with wildlife advocates and some political parties saying more needs to be done to protect the native animals.

"There's absolutely a need for new housing. I'm just sad that there's not more protocols in place that when a developer takes a home from wildlife," wildlife advocate Zoe Schmidt told Yahoo News previously. "We can try and set a precedent for future developments for councils and developers, so we can have homes for our residents and we can also have better plans for the native animals."

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