Kangaroo management is backed by science

Why we survey kangaroos

We are responsible for protecting, conserving, and managing kangaroos as a protected species. We do this by monitoring their numbers in the wild, determining where harvesting is allowed, and by setting a limit on how many kangaroos can be harvested each year.

Monitoring the population size of kangaroos over time allows us to adjust the policy and management settings to ensure populations are protected.

Kangaroo populations are regularly monitored; most are monitored annually by aerial survey. These surveys extend over most of New South Wales and accurately record the number of kangaroos in a given area.

Our scientists have monitored kangaroos since 1975, and we have over 50 years of data on kangaroo numbers. The scale and regularity of the surveys allow us to have a high confidence in the numbers.

How we survey kangaroos

To understand how many kangaroos there are, the state is divided into 15 commercial harvest zones that are individually surveyed.

Trained kangaroo counters onboard aircraft count kangaroos from the sky as the aircraft flies low along a survey line. Scientists then use mathematical modelling to estimate the number of kangaroos in each zone.

Aerial surveys

Aerial surveys are the most efficient method for estimating large-scale kangaroo populations.

Every year we conduct 2 kangaroo surveys in small aircraft with a team of expert kangaroo counters – one is by fixed-wing plane, on the Western Plains of New South Wales, where the terrain is flat, and the other is by helicopter, on the Tablelands of New South Wales, where the terrain is steep and uneven.

During these surveys, we fly in a straight line at a set speed and height above ground. Trained counters count the kangaroos they see and note how far they are from the flight path.

Different terrain and aircraft require different data analysis methods for plane and helicopter surveys.

The science behind aerial surveys

Our scientists use distance sampling, an animal survey method, to estimate kangaroo numbers in New South Wales. Distance sampling is a common method used around the world to count many different species of animals, with well-established scientific practice for its use.

We use distance sampling differently for each kangaroo survey due to varying terrain and environments between the Western Plains and Tablelands of New South Wales, requiring different aircraft.

To conduct distance sampling, we draw transect lines on a digital map across each kangaroo management zone in New South Wales to ensure consistent kangaroo counts across the landscape.

In the Tablelands of New South Wales, a helicopter with 2 wildlife observers, one on each side of the aircraft, flies at a very low level and speed along the transect line. The wildlife observers quickly and accurately record the kangaroos they see within 150 metres of the transect line.

They also record how far away (the distance) the kangaroos are from the helicopter. They can do this accurately with the use of a boom pole that is fixed to the outside of the helicopter. The boom pole is designed to visually measure distance based on the height of the aircraft and is used like a very large tape measure.

Recording kangaroo distances from the survey line helps scientists model the likelihood of detection by wildlife observers, a crucial step in distance sampling.

Animals are generally expected to be evenly distributed across the survey area. However, as they appear further from the helicopter, the likelihood of detection by wildlife observers decreases.

Animals close to the transect line are much more likely to be seen. Knowing the distance of a kangaroo allows us to use a model to estimate missed kangaroos, enhancing survey accuracy and reliability.

In the Western Plains of New South Wales, our aerial survey method is very similar to the Tablelands, but we model the likelihood of detecting a kangaroo in a different way because the flatter terrain allows these surveys to be done in a fixed-wing plane.

Fixed-wing planes can seat 2 wildlife observers on each side of the plane (that's 4 wildlife observers in total). This means we can have 2 people counting the same kangaroos independently along the transect line.

This method of animal survey is called Mark-Recapture-Distance-Sampling. Using this method, we can find instances when kangaroos are detected by one wildlife observer but missed by the other and when both wildlife observers see kangaroos.

Understanding the likelihood of detecting a kangaroo during our surveys is an important and integral part of the process for calculating the number of kangaroos in New South Wales.

In regulating the harvest of kangaroos, we ensure that we don't overestimate their numbers so we can be confident that regulated activities won't impact the sustainability of populations.

Our method for counting kangaroos has been improving over the last 45 years. In 2023, world-leading animal survey scientists and mathematicians from the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) reviewed our method and found it to be accurate and appropriate. They also suggested improvements, some of which were implemented in the 2024 surveys.

What, where and when do we survey?

Over 60 species of kangaroos and wallabies are native to Australia, but only 4 species of kangaroo are commercially harvested in New South Wales:

• red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)
• eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
• western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
• common wallaroo (Osphranter robustus).

These species are abundant and widely distributed across New South Wales.

We survey most of New South Wales, except for the coast, because kangaroos are not allowed to be harvested on the coast of New South Wales.

The rest of New South Wales has been divided into 15 kangaroo management zones. View the commercial kangaroo management zone maps.

Western Plains zones

• Tibooburra
• Bourke
• Narrabri
• Broken Hill
• Cobar
• Coonabarabran
• Lower Darling
• Griffith North
• Griffith South.

These zones of the Western Plains are surveyed every year.

Tablelands zones

• Glen Innes
• Armidale
• Upper Hunter
• Central Tablelands North
• Central Tablelands South
• South East Tablelands.

These zones are surveyed every 3 years.

Surveys occur in winter or early spring when the weather is cool, and kangaroos spend more time in the open grazing or foraging. This makes kangaroos more visible for counting.

During the hotter season, kangaroos will spend more time in the shade and under trees, making them harder to find and count, so we don't survey during the hotter months.

The Western Plains and Tablelands surveys can take 4 or more weeks to complete, depending on weather conditions for flying aircraft and visibility for kangaroo counters.

Why aren't kangaroos in decline?

Kangaroos are common and widespread in New South Wales because their biology suits the conditions. 

The risk of kangaroo extinction in New South Wales is low, as supported by NSW and Australian legislation.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species lists all harvested kangaroo species as 'Least Concern,' the lowest risk category. These species are not a focus of wildlife conservation because they are abundant in the wild.

Our surveys show that kangaroos are found in high numbers across most of New South Wales. Some populations fluctuate over time.

This is especially true for kangaroos in the rangelands of western New South Wales. Seasonal conditions, like rainfall, affect the growth of their food and cause these changes, not commercial harvesting.

Droughts or above-average rainfall typically cause large drops in kangaroo numbers. These events increase the risk to kangaroo populations, but long-term data shows that their numbers are not declining.

Our yearly monitoring ensures we are aware of any decline in kangaroo numbers. If we see a significant decline, we respond by reducing the harvest quota or closing a zone to harvesting.

For example, surveys in 2023 found that the number of eastern grey kangaroos in the Narrabri kangaroo management zone declined below a set threshold. We reduced the harvest quota from 15% to 10%. The 2024 survey found that eastern grey kangaroo numbers were back up, so we restored the quota to 15% for 2025.

How many kangaroos are there?

In 2024, there were an estimated 13.9 million of the 4 commercially harvested species of kangaroo across the kangaroo management zones of New South Wales. This number and other statistics about the number of kangaroos in New South Wales is available in the 2025 Quota report.

This report is created every year after the surveys are over and is freely available to the public. It provides information about how many kangaroos of each species there are in New South Wales across all the kangaroo management zones. It also details the harvest limit based on the aerial survey results.

Ongoing research and review

The more we understand kangaroos, the better we can protect and monitor their numbers in the wild.

In addition to our extensive annual population research, we collaborate with other groups to advance our understanding of these iconic animals.

We have co-funded 2 research scholarships with AgriFutures to enable more research on kangaroo management and welfare. Results from this research and other studies provides our program with new insights and opportunities to advance our understanding of best-practice kangaroo management.