A “plague” of kangaroos is terrorising farmers in northern Australia, the BBC reported today. The kangaroos descended on the farms after heavy rainfall in parts of Queensland revitalized fields and, say farmers, are causing thousands of dollars of damage as they munch through vegetation earmarked for stock animals. One farmer told the Australian News Network that he saw 2,500 kangaroos on his property in a single night; the overgrazing kangaroos are costing him $30,000 a year, he estimated.

While the rains have brought the animals to farmers’ fields, authorities say Russia’s recent suspension of kangaroo meat imports, on claims of hygiene concerns, is boosting the marsupials’ numbers. Fewer of the animals are being hunted, the BBC reports, and local authorities are keen to see the trade clean up its act.

Kangaroos are running rampant in Queensland, Australia. Photo credit: Doogsta

Further south, in New South Wales, however, a longstanding drought has forced authorities to suspend the hunting of the animal amid fears that they’re facing extinction.