Adelaide Echidnas on the Move: Residents Urged to Let Them Be
Adelaide's echidna population is on the move, with increasing reports of sightings in suburban areas as the breeding season stretches later than usual. Residents are advised not to move the animals, as they are likely to be "on a mission" and know where they're going.
Residents in suburban areas are advised not to move echidnas they come across, as the animals are likely "on a mission" and know where they're going, according to a local rescue worker.
Adelaide's echidna population is considered stable and abundant in areas with suitable habitat, but they often roam into suburban areas and use stormwater networks to find food and water.
"I hate to think how many get moved on because they are species that some people are really scared of," Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue co-founder Mish Simpson said.
"I see online that people have moved one because it was walking down the street, and then you read the comments and someone else moved it, and someone else moved it, and then someone else moved it."
"I'm like, 'This poor thing doesn't want to be in the scrub. Stop taking it to the scrub. It's trying to get somewhere.'"
Ms Simpson said her organization receives many reports of echidnas in people's yards, but advises people to give them time and space.
"I just say give them half an hour to an hour and there's a good chance it will disappear and people are getting back to me and saying, 'Yep, it's long gone,'" she said.
Echidna behavior and safety
A Department for Environment and Water spokesperson said echidnas are skilled navigators that can remember safe routes and avoid cars and human traffic.
"They have a wide temporal range of activity in a day and night cycle, so can avoid many urban threats."
The spokesperson said echidnas are also protected from common urban predators, such as cats, dogs, and foxes, due to their behavioral and physiological defense adaptations.
"Because of this, echidnas have maintained their distribution across South Australia when compared with other similar-sized mammals," the spokesperson said.
Injuries and rescues
Ms Simpson said that in her 10 years of rescuing echidnas, she has only seen one case of an injury caused by dogs, in which two dogs managed to "sadly, bite its beak off".
"Most of the time, the dogs are not determined enough. They get pricked in the face a few times and they give up."
"We used to bring the [attacked echidnas] in because there was blood on the echidna but it always turned out to be the dog's blood."
Ms Simpson said the most common injuries and rescues she deals with are echidnas hit by cars, typically on dark, unlit, and windy country roads.
Breeding season
Ms Simpson has noticed a change in the breeding season of echidnas, with September and October becoming increasingly busy for her rescue group.
"Their breeding season used to be in winter, but it's September and October that's becoming our busiest time," she said.
"Last year it didn't get busy until the springtime so it's definitely interesting."
Ms Simpson said her group cared for 15 echidnas in 2025, but last year they had around 40, and only four so far this year.
"We're getting lactating echidnas coming through at the end of the summer and they shouldn't still be having babies at that time, so we're definitely noticing the pattern of how things are changing."
Conservation concerns
The Department for Environment and Water spokesperson said the greatest threats to local echidna populations are vehicle strikes and habitat loss due to development.
"Fallen logs, tree stumps, understorey vegetation and rocky, rubble areas are important habitat features that provide shelter and support ant colonies, a key food source for echidnas," she said.
"Disturbance or landscaping of these areas can reduce habitat quality."