Introduction

Of about twelve species of marsupial introduced into New Zealand between 1858 and 1870, only the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula and six species of wallaby became successfully established (Wodzicki and Flux 1967). In some areas the latter multiplied to such an extent that in 1956 wallabies were classified as noxious animals, but eradication programmes against the red-necked page 146 wallaby Macropus rufogriseus ^* had commenced as early as 1947 in the Waimate area.

Apart from the black-striped wallaby M. dorsalis which is now very rare if not extinct, these species provided the nucleus from which animals have been caught for display or research purposes in New Zealand, and hundreds have been exported.

In addition, a colony of the agile wallaby M. agilis has been maintained.