Save the Kangaroo

Since 1980, 73 million kangaroos have been killed by the kangaroo industry and turned into pet food and sports shoes. Around 14 million pouch joeys have been bashed to death or decapitated and 7 million young at-foot joeys have been orphaned and left to die a slow and lonely death from stress, starvation, predation and exposure. This combined with years of intense drought, floods and bush fires, has seen Red Kangaroos, Western Grey Kangaroos, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros plummet to densities of less than 5k/km2 (quasi extinct) across most of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. These species are now at risk of extinction in these states, and if the commercial industry is allowed to continue, scientific forecasts predict mass extinctions of Red, Western and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros, across most of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
     We therefore make an urgent request that the Australian Government impose an immediate moratorium on the commercial and non-commercial slaughter of kangaroos across New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland for the sake of our country, for the sake of our environment, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of our reputation, and for the sake of our Icon, now, more than ever before, it%u2019s time to stop killing kangaroos.

Since 1980, 73 million kangaroos have been killed by the kangaroo industry and turned into pet food and sports shoes. Around 14 million pouch joeys have been bashed to death or decapitated and 7 million young at-foot joeys have been orphaned and left to die a slow and lonely death from stress, starvation, predation and exposure. This combined with years of intense drought, floods and bush fires, has seen Red Kangaroos, Western Grey Kangaroos, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros plummet to densities of less than 5k/km2 (quasi extinct) across most of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. These species are now at risk of extinction in these states, and if the commercial industry is allowed to continue, scientific forecasts predict mass extinctions of Red, Western and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros, across most of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
     We therefore make an urgent request that the Australian Government impose an immediate moratorium on the commercial and non-commercial slaughter of kangaroos across New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland for the sake of our country, for the sake of our environment, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of our reputation, and for the sake of our Icon, now, more than ever before, it%u2019s time to stop killing kangaroos.

To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

The petition of the undersigned shows we have grave fears for the future existence of kangaroos in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, and the fact that these state governments have already set commercial kill quotas at 12-20% of the population for the next four years.

According to scientific predictions, this could result in large-scale and irreversible extinctions of Red Kangaroos, Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros in the wild within a matter of a few years.

Considering this and other factors weighing against kangaroos' survival such as ongoing drought, climate change, DEVASTATING FIRES AND FLOODS along with ongoing large-scale habitat destruction, your urgent attention to the imminent extinction of our national icon is now needed.

Kangaroos should not be equated with herded production animals. They are free-living wild animals, many with young in pouch or at foot, highly susceptible to stress. As a result, current commercial kangaroo killing practice is commensurate with causing extreme cruelty to adults and infants, the outcome of which is to bring great shame on Australia as a society. It is conservatively estimated that three million joeys have died inhumanely as a result of this cruelty over the last 10 years.

Your petitioners ask that the Senate impose a moratorium on the commercial and non-commercial slaughter of Red Kangaroos, Grey Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Euros IN EVERY STATE OF AUSTRALIA.

We ask that this remain in place until such time as a full independent enquiry is carried out determining the extinction risk to kangaroo populations in light of new information that has come to the public's attention and the results of such inquiry be presented to Parliament.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.