The number of Aussie animals getting tangled in man-made materials is rising

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-02-09 00:01

Australia; NSW

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More Australian animals are getting tangled up in man-made materials such as netting or wire than in the 2010s, according to Australian research. The team collected data on on-land animal entanglements in NSW from 2011-2021, and found the overall rate has increased. The researchers say netting and wire accounted for more than a quarter of reported entanglements, and mammals and birds were most consistently affected, with flying foxes accounting for more than two thirds of reports. Many of these entanglements involved the threatened grey-headed flying-fox, the researchers say.