Grass poisoning blamed for condition making kangaroos appear 'drunk'

Animals are often euthanised due to irreversible condition

Kangaroos who appear to be drunkenly stumbling around in Australia have been poisoned by a common pasture crop, wildlife rescuers have said.

They added that they were getting “multiple calls a day for this horrible condition,” which has seen the marsupials in Victoria to lose coordination, stagger around and collapse.

It is thought the neurological damage, termed “phalaris staggers,” is caused by the animals eating phalaris, a common pasture crop which is grown to feed livestock.

“A kangaroo with full blown toxicity is just horrible,” Manfred Zabinskas, from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue, told Guardian Australia. “Their head flies around like they have got a broken neck; they summersault; they crash into fences and trees … they look like they are drunk.”

Because the condition is irreversible, Mr Zabinskas said “the kindest thing to do is euthanise them.”

Phalaris was introduced to southeastern Australia to feed livestock.

Although it can cause phalaris staggers in sheep and cattle, farmers often introduce copper to their diet to protect them.

As such, wild animals such as kangaroos are far more susceptible to the condition.