Roo-Guard® sound emitters are not effective at deterring tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) from a source of food

Published source details Muirhead S., Blache D., Wykes B. & Bencini R. (2006) Roo-Guard® sound emitters are not effective at deterring tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) from a source of food. Wildlife Research, 33, 131-136.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Install acoustic wildlife warnings along roads Action Link

Install acoustic wildlife warnings along roads

A controlled study in 2005 in a grass enclosure in Western Australia, Australia (Muirhead et al. 2006) found that Roo-Guard® sound emitters did not deter tammar wallabies Macropus eugenii from food and so were not considered suitable for keeping them off roads. There was no significant difference between the use of the enclosure or food sources when the Roo-Guards were switched on or off. This was the case even when there was an alternative source of food available away from Roo-Guards. The device did not result in any obvious behavioural responses such as flight or distress. Nine tammars were kept in an enclosure (60 × 30 m), with a test area (60 × 20 m) divided into 12 squares. The remainder of the enclosure was covered in trees and bushes. Roo-Guard® Mk II high-frequency sound emitters were installed on the edge of the test area, 0.5 m off the ground. Animals were observed though a night-vision scope on three nights (18:00–21:00 h) with the Roo-Guard turned on and three with it turned off, for each of four treatments: food 20 m from Roo-Guard, or food 20 and 60 m from Roo-Guard, and the same two treatments but with the sides with food and Roo-Guards swapped over.

(Summarised by: Rebecca K. Smith)