Kangaroos
Almost 90 million kangaroos and wallabies have been killed for meat and skins in the last 30 years.2 The question as to whether kangaroos are a 'pest' or 'overpopulated' has been hotly debated.
Almost 90 million kangaroos and wallabies have been killed for meat and skins in the last 30 years.2 The question as to whether kangaroos are a 'pest' or 'overpopulated' has been hotly debated.
Australia's iconic kangaroos are hunted in the largest commercial slaughter of land-based wildlife on the planet.1 Almost 90 million kangaroos and wallabies have been lawfully killed for commercial purposes in the last 20 years.2
The commercial killing of kangaroos is a multi-million dollar meat and skin industry3 and the largest slaughter of land-based animals in the world.
Four species are killed by the industry– the Red kangaroo, Eastern and Western Grey kangaroo and the Common Wallaroo.
In 2016 the Australian government allowed up to 7.4 million kangaroos and wallabies4 to be commercially hunted. A large percentage of kangaroo meat and skins are exported around the world, including Europe, Asia and the USA. Russia banned imports in 2014 due to unacceptable levels of E.Coli.
The kangaroo industry is accepted because of a perception that kangaroos are an overpopulated 'pest'.5
Pest or precious?
The question as to whether kangaroos are a 'pest' or 'overpopulated' has been hotly debated. Kangaroos are native animals who have adapted uniquely to the Australian landscape. Their ancient ancestor has been traced back 24 million years to the Palaeopotorous—the starting point of all known kangaroo species.
Despite being a native animal, many farmers consider kangaroos to be 'economic' pests because of competition with cattle and sheep. According to a 2011 report by THINKK, the think tank for kangaroos, the notion of kangaroos as pests has been significantly overstated. Research suggests kangaroos do not exist in abundance or pest proportions and that the cost to farmers should be revised down from $200 million to $44 million, or $1.67 per kangaroo per year.
The other justification for the kangaroo industry is overpopulation. However, survey methodology has been questioned and, according to leading kangaroo scientists, the populations of different kangaroo species go up and down in natural patterns, influenced by weather, environmental conditions, birth rate and other factors.
Kangaroo killing for commercial and non-commercial purposes (eg damage mitigation and recreational hunting) may also threaten the survival of some species. Shooters hunt outside the sanctioned areas and kill species other than those permitted under specific licences.6
Welfare of kangaroos and joeys
Kangaroos are social animals who live in large groups called mobs.15 Mothers and joeys (young kangaroos) form close bonds and communicate with each other using unique calls.16 Studies show that female Eastern Grey Kangaroos recognize the individual voices of their young, and mothers and daughters maintain long-term bonds.
Kangaroos are shot in the wild, in often extremely remote locations and at night,9 when they are most active. Without independent oversight, issues of non-compliance, welfare and potential cruelty are not able to be addressed.
The Senate Select Committee on Animal Welfare concluded in its 1988 report into the killing of kangaroos that, "to some extent, cruelty to kangaroos has become institutionalised through the system of kangaroo management."17
While shooters are required by Commercial and Non-Commercial Codes of Practice10 to aim to shoot a kangaroo in the brain and therefore achieve an instantaneous death,18 many factors affect the ability of a shooter to achieve this.12
Non-fatal body shots are an inevitable part of the industry, with the potential to cause painful injuries, prolonged suffering and a slow death. Data collected from meat processing plants by RSPCA Australia in 2002 suggest that 4% of kangaroos were mis-shot, while Animal Liberation NSW data from chillers (holding facilities for carcasses) suggest that 40% of kangaroos may have been mis-shot between 2005 and 2008.13 The lack of industry monitoring makes it difficult to establish more accurate figures.
A former commercial kangaroo shooter decribes a shoot: "The mouth of a kangaroo can be blown off and the kangaroo can escape to die of shock and starvation. Forearms can be blown off, as can ears, eyes and noses. Stomachs can be hit expelling the contents with the kangaroo still alive. Backbones can be pulverized to an unrecognisable state etc. Hind legs can be shattered with the kangaroo desperately trying to get away on the other or without the use of either. To deny that this goes on is just an exercise in attempting to fool the public."14
Joeys as collateral damage
In reality, the death of joeys is 'collateral damage' to the killing of female kangaroos. According to Australia's National Code of Practice, female kangaroos with joeys (both pouch-young and young-at-foot) are meant to be avoided in the kill but this is voluntary, not compulsory. Shooters must 'euthanase' the joeys of any female that is killed by using the following methods:
Dependent joeys who are not caught and killed in accordance with the Codes of Practice will likely die as a result of starvation, exposure or predation without their mothers to teach them vital survival skills such as finding food, water and shelter.18 On a 10 year average, it is estimated that 800,000 dependent joeys are killed as collateral damage of the kangaroo industry each year.19
RSPCA Australia reviewed the Codes of Practice in 2002 and recommended that they include a condition to stop the shooting of females who are carrying pouch young.20 This, it believes, is the only way to stop the potential of cruelty to the pouch young.21
Watch a presentation on the kangaroo industry by Keely Boom, previously a research fellow with THINKK, the think tank for kangaroos, and an expert in animal law and environmental law. Filmed at Voiceless's 2012 Animal Law Lecture Series.
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Last updated September 2018