2018 Update to Kangaroo Decimation

There have been some of the most disturbing events taking place across Australia since the last update on this site concerning our kangaroos and the so called ‘management’ of these animals by the various State’s National Parks & Wildlife Departments who all go under different names in each state. Qld are about to be renamed from Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) to Department of Environment and Science (DES) to name just one. The film “Kangaroo” cannot hit Australian shores soon enough to try to save these species from certain extinction in the not too distant future. In Queensland, the Commercial Harvest have not met their quota for decades and what is happening now, is the DEHP are handing out Damage Mitigation Permits (DMP) so freely and without inspections being carried out on ANY properties to PROVE damage is/has even been done to that property or that there has been any economic loss. Between these permits and the ‘ROO’ fence as it is commonly called by farmers and the Agricultural Industry, (Dog fence – cluster fencing renamed to exclusion fences) – our kangaroos and other wildlife species do not stand a chance. Animals that are caught on these fence lines are dying from dehydration, starvation not to mention predation to wild dog populations as they have been locked away from feed and water and locked out with the dogs, causing mortality rates to sky rocket. Damage Mitigation Permits are quickly taking over from where the Commercial Harvest has previously been responsible for the mass shooting/culling of our kangaroos in every state. Currently in Queensland, the DEHP are approving DMP’s using an ‘online connect’ system, which has already failed once in 2017 where permits were erroneously issued that the Department say they had not approved. These permits are being granted to applicants within a 1 week period, for a 3 year period to cull the kangaroos and each of the permits that have been viewed recently state that “UNLIMITED” amount of kangaroos can be culled. Previous to this ‘UNLIMITED’ number of kangaroos, it was 1000 kangaroos per permit and an applicant is permitted to continue to apply for permits as frequently as they wish to. When the DEHP were contacted about this very issue recently, Kanga Watch were informed that depending on whether the department saw the permit as a ‘Property Management Permit’ or a ‘Damage Mitigation Permit’ was what decided the number of animals which could be attached to the permit. Both permits when issued are called ‘Damage Mitigation Permits’. In 2016 a formal complaint was instigated into the issuing of 47 permits to a 100,000 acre property in Barcaldine in Western Queensland at 1000 kangaroos per permit. These permits were issued within a 6 month period. To approve for 47,000 kangaroos to be allowed to be removed and killed from just 1 property is a gross mis-management of our wildlife to say the least. This is happening across Queensland and has been escalating since 2014 when the Environment Minister held a meeting and stated that : a) inspections were no longer required whilst Queensland was in drought; b) More staff were to be employed in the Toowoomba office so that applications could be processed quicker; c) An increase to the number of kangaroos allowed on DMP’s was increased from 1% to 2% of the estimated population and since this 2014 meeting an ‘online’ system has been implemented in 2017, making it even easier for permits to be applied for. At the end of this investigation, no evidence was found as to what had happened to these kangaroos however it was confirmed that the permits were in fact issued and the kangaroos shot. So where are these kangaroos??? Did they get buried on the property or were they illegally sold through a chiller box. Questions which have never been answered. With DMP’s now allowing for an ‘unlimited’ number of kangaroos to be killed over a 3 year period is in no way ‘protection of our wildlife’ by this Department or our Government. In Victoria, they are into their 4th year of the Petfood Trials which are to finish in March 2018. Given that the 1st 2 year trial was extended a further 2 years, even before the results had been evaluated of 1st 2 year period, Kanga Watch would like to think that there will not be a further extension in March this year - but time will tell and considering that politicians are already pushing for this industry to continue indefinitely, Kanga Watch fear that this will in fact be the case where the shooting will continue and our macropods will continue to be put into petfood tins. Western Australia shut down the Commercial Harvest across the state as Kangaroo Shooters were unable to find enough kangaroos to support a commercial industry. They have continued to kill kangaroos since though using the DMP system. It would seem that Australian States are so determined to rid our environment of our kangaroos to appease the Agricultural Industry and Kangaroo Industry (KIAA) that they will use whatever method they have to, in order for this to continue to happen. Shooters in Queensland and New South Wales have reported that both states are very short of kangaroos to support the commercial harvest and shooters are having to travel across multiple properties in a nights shooting and are still only being able to find and shoot 20-30 kangaroos that are large enough to sell. Currently in Queensland shooters are being paid $0.75/kg for males and $0.40/kg for females sold. Shooters have reported that the kangaroos are so young and small now that it is not uncommon that multiple kangaroos are needing to be shot before they find a kangaroo that is heavy enough to be able to meet the minimum weight requirement for sale. All of these underweight kangaroos are left in the paddock to rot and gravely impact on the breeding stock of the wild population (or what is left of the wild population). So in fact a kangaroo shot by a professional shooter and sold can fetch as little as $4.80 at the above prices. This is what happens when you have an industry which is ‘unpoliced’ at point of kill where only the Kangaroo shooter knows what is taking place and when you have a government who have a seriously flawed science behind the counting of kangaroos to begin with and who simply see them for what money they can generate for interested parties. New Harvest Zones are continually having to be opened up in New South Wales in order to keep this industry operating as zones are emptied out of kangaroos across the Australian landscape. New South Wales and other states with the exception of Queensland, no longer carry out aerial surveys and instead use the MRDS method which was designed originally for marine stock. The last aerial survey done in New South Wales was in 2013. Illegal and Recreational Shooting across Australia continue to add to the death of kangaroos. Kanga Watch is continually being contacted to report these problems. Poisoning of kangaroos using 1080 and/or Urea in the water sources has also been reported on a multiple of occasions. Paddocks are being cleared of livestock where only wildlife and feral animals can access these poisoned water troughs. In Tasmania, the government are continuing to have ‘management’ programs in place using 1080 in carrots which are killing thousands of wallabies each year. It can take up to 44 hours to kill a macropod using this poison and the RSPCA and Australian Veterinary Association believe that this is a humane method of killing and have both signed off on this practice. Long haul Truck Drivers are reporting that with the exception of small ‘pockets’ of kangaroos in some areas, the majority of their trips they have few sightings of kangaroos in their travels. Holiday makers and Tourists are also reporting that kangaroos are very difficult to find and some holiday makers have travelled 1000 klm in a week (at dawn, dusk and night) and not seen 1 kangaroo anywhere in their travels. Mutilation of kangaroos has been once again occurring across New South Wales and Queensland, where kangaroos are being illegally shot in the hip where the bullet enters their spine, paralysing them, and body parts are being illegally removed. Whilst there is a police investigation into this matter, the most recent incident that was reported to police in Queensland was not investigated. The police involved refused point blank to even so much as take a look at the kangaroo which had been shot on a main highway still within the town limits. This matter is currently with the Queensland Commission of Police for further investigation. Kangaroos across Australia are being run down by motorists intentionally and hit unintentionally on the highways, shot illegally on hunting trips, government departments are approving DMP’s allowing ‘unlimited’ number of kangaroos to be killed and the Commercial Harvest continues to be in full swing. Drought in Queensland is in it’s 5th year where the mortality rate of joeys rises to 100% and where the joey does not reach adulthood. Adult moralities are also high. There has been a disease outbreak in New South Wales which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of kangaroos and have scientists baffled and now with the ‘Roo Fences’ which cover more than 2 million hectares in Queensland, Kanga Watch hold grave fears for these 4 species of kangaroos survival. Please be sure to support the documentary which has been made exposing the kangaroo killing industry which is due to premier on March 15 in Australia. “Kangaroo’ (a hate / love story) will answer questions for those who wonder what really is happening to our kangaroos in Australia.