Australian authorities are calling for widespread kangaroo hunting to control the burgeoning population of this marsupial and to prevent potential disasters in the future.
For foreigners, kangaroos symbolize the unique natural ecosystem of Australia. However, in the largest country in Oceania, these marsupials are causing ecological issues.
Scientists warn that without effective population control measures, tens of millions of kangaroos could die when drought conditions return. This is why the government is urging citizens to hunt kangaroos on a large scale, according to Channel News Asia.
Kangaroo is an iconic animal of Australia. (Photo: Reuters).
What is Happening to Kangaroos?
The kangaroo population in Australia fluctuates cyclically, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing. When food is abundant after a rainy season, the population can swell by tens of millions. Kangaroos can easily leap over human-made barriers and invade crops.
However, scientists warn that kangaroos face the risk of starvation and a rapid decline in numbers when food sources dwindle.
The kangaroo population in Australia is rising rapidly. (Photo: AP).
“During the last major drought event, in some areas, 80-90% of kangaroos died,” said Professor Katherine Moseby, an environmental scientist at the University of New South Wales.
She noted that after droughts, many kangaroos were so hungry that they entered public restrooms to eat toilet paper. Dead kangaroos from starvation can be found scattered along the roads.
The most humane way to protect kangaroos from widespread starvation is to cull them now and utilize their meat, which is an effective way to manage the marsupial population.
“Widespread hunting is a way to reduce the kangaroo population, ensuring that when drought strikes, food shortages for them will not occur. If we treat kangaroos as a resource and manage them effectively, we will not have to witness their tragic deaths,” Moseby stated.
Kangaroos are protected by Australian law; however, they are not classified as endangered. Therefore, residents in most parts of Australia can shoot and kill kangaroos with government permission.
Each year, about 5 million kangaroos are culled to support domestic production. Parts of kangaroos are harvested for meat, pet food, and leather for manufacturing.
Dennis King, a member of the Kangaroo Industry Association, believes Australia is at the peak of a kangaroo population explosion.
“After three years of La Niña on the east coast, we are seeing perfect conditions for kangaroo growth in the coming years. Their breeding cycle is indeed accelerating,” King commented.
According to him, the kangaroo population dropped below 30 million after the severe drought in the early 2000s. However, the marsupials rebounded quickly, with numbers increasing to 60 million.
Is Hunting Immoral?
Animal rights activists have long opposed large-scale kangaroo hunting, labeling it a “brutal massacre.” Advocacy groups have pressured companies like Puma and Nike to stop using kangaroo leather.
“Nike withdrew from a kangaroo leather supplier in 2021, and we will cease production of products using kangaroo leather from 2023,” a Nike representative stated.
In Oregon, USA, where Nike was founded, politicians are lobbying to pass a law banning the use of “any part from a dead kangaroo.”
Millions of kangaroos may die when drought conditions arrive. (Photo: The Land).
“Indigenous creatures are being slaughtered for commercial gain,” stated Animals Australia.
Nevertheless, kangaroo management expert George Wilson argues that efforts to shut down the industry utilizing kangaroo parts are well-intentioned but misguided.
“They believe that exploiting kangaroos is immoral, but allowing them to starve en masse is truly immoral. Sitting idly by and doing nothing is the real crime,” Wilson said.
Professor Moseby from the University of New South Wales also believes that banning kangaroo hunting in the long term will lead to serious issues.
“Preventing the harvest of kangaroos for meat and leather will not significantly benefit the marsupials and will only worsen the situation in the long run,” she noted.
