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Tragedy as wallaby is killed by 'plague of ticks'

A Queensland man has captured heartbreaking photos of a wallaby who died after being inundated by a “plague of ticks”.

David Locke, of Queensland’s Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, posted images of the wallaby to Facebook on Friday.

“Not a happy day though for this poor little red-necked wallaby who as you can see, when found sadly deceased by a plague of ticks,” Mr Locke wrote.

Quoting a member of the local council’s environment team, Mr Lock said he’d been told “this is what a drought can cause to not only our native fauna but many of our farm stock and domestic animals unless regularly checked.”

A red-necked wallaby pictured covered in ticks.
This dead red-necked wallaby was found covered in ticks. Source: Facebook/ David Locke

In response, one social media user said he’s seen ticks on farm animals before but “never anything like that”.

“Our roos get a few but that many is a sure death sentence,” another man wrote.

“It didn't stand a chance,” one woman wrote.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Lockyer Valley has had its lowest rainfall on record between April 2018 and December last year.

It’s put pressure on farmers and wildlife.

In August, locals took steps to rescue wildlife from dried up Apex Lake in Gatton by pulling catfish, turtles and eels from the mud to another pond, 7News reported.

While most of North Queensland was drenched earlier this week, Gatton received only 14mm.

However, last week the southern areas of Queensland stretching down to the Gold Coast were pummelled by heavy rain.

Areas around Toowoomba received between 25-99mm.

The red-necked wallaby isn’t the only Australian marsupial found struggling with ticks.

In November, a NSW woman living in Parkes, south of Dubbo, found a kangaroo covered in ticks.

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