End Kangaroo and Wallaby Shooting
Animal Liberation asks the government to urgently reconsider the commercial and non-commercial killing of Australian kangaroos.
Together, with more than 25 other organisations, scientists, researchers, and academics, Animal Liberation has signed an open letter calling on decision makers to urgently reconsider the commercial and non-commercial killing of Australian kangaroos.
End the slaughter
“Nothing short of an immediate national ban on the barbaric killing of Australia’s iconic kangaroo is good enough right now. We expect the government to issue an urgent moratorium on these failed ‘business as usual’ lethal animal control programs,” said Mr Vince, spokesperson for Animal Liberation. “We’re staring down the barrel of an ecological disaster caused by the ongoing climate crisis. The recent bushfires are one devastating symptom we can no longer allow authorities to ignore. Our Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, must step up. As a bare minimum, NSW must urgently emulate the lead taken by the Victorian and South Australian state governments, by issuing an urgent ceasefire to the killing of kangaroos and wallabies”.
Australia is struggling
The true impact of these bushfires will be borne by all for many years. Ecologists have already estimated a death toll of over 1 billion animals. And with many weeks of summer left, we’re far from out of the woods. It will be months before we can accurately assess the impact this disaster has had on all animals and the environment. There is a real possibility that we have lost several species forever. Whilst media covers the government providing aerial food drops for some fire survivors, they fail to mention the continued slaughter of others. This includes using public money to fund indiscriminate 1080 baiting programs.
“Native animals homes are burnt, burning, or being bulldozed. They have little to no food and their water is drying up, being used, or is polluted. Compounding these overwhelming impacts, wild animals have been left traumatised in the aftermath of the bushfires. Animal rescue teams have reported that animals ‘totally shut down’ if they’re lucky enough to survive the flames”.
Mr Vince | Animal Liberation
Weighing into the increasingly vocal criticisms, Animal Liberation’s Regional Campaigns Coordinator, Lisa Ryan stressed, “Contrary to the many myths about kangaroos and wallabies, they are not in “plague” proportions. Like the experts, we question the government’s flawed kangaroo population survey methods. They inflate population estimates and as a result, over-allocate shooting quotas. Undisputed evidence confirms that kangaroos grow and breed slowly. They also have high juvenile mortality rates and recorded annual declines of up to 60% during drought. While a grey kangaroo doe can produce eight young over her lifetime, on average, only two will survive to independence.”
We need urgent action
We can’t afford to become complacent. Without proactive policies and leadership, environmental, economic and social costs will only increase with the climate emergency. The science clearly indicates that we need to act now. If we continually refuse to address the underlying issues, the impacts will only become worse – especially for our vulnerable native species.
“Current environmental events and their consequences are far more serious and complex than ‘our house being on fire’. Entire ecosystems are off-balance, the trees we rely on to purify the atmosphere are burning, and toxic chemicals and ash are polluting valuable water sources.
Yet, our government continues to irresponsibly approve and allow exemptions for mining, logging, lethal control programs, and the strategic winding back of vitally important environmental and ecological protections. As a result, Australia has proven to have an appalling record in how we manage the environment and coexist with other-than-human animals. The current situation demands urgent amendments in strategic and policy direction.”
Mr Vince | Animal Liberation
What you can do
Now is not the time to continue business-as-usual. We need to listen to the experts and end our destructive practices once and for all. This includes losing the infamous title for being responsible for the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world. In order to achieve this, we need an immediate end to all kangaroo and wallaby killing. Anything less than a ban would be reprehensible and will be judged accordingly by future generations. We must end this indiscriminate killing and give the natural world and its animals a chance to recover.
Stand with us, by demanding an end to the slaughter of kangaroos and wallabies: Sign the petition now!
