Kangaroos are a symbol of Australia, but they now represent an environmental problem for the country because of their breeding cycle. They may starve to death if the population explosion is left unchecked.
The number of these marsupials can reach hundreds of millions when grass is plentiful after a good rainy season. But they can also die en masse when food runs out.
“During the last drought, we estimate that between 80% and 90% of kangaroos died in some areas (…) Both killing kangaroos and shipping them to butchers and into leather goods is a charitable way of saving them from excruciating suffering and would be a means to control its population” environmentalist Catherine Mosby told AFP.
The Australian government protects kangaroos, but the most common species is not at risk of extinction. This means that they can be hunted with prior authorization in most areas.
“If we treat them as a resource and manage it that way, we won’t have the catastrophic deaths that we know about.” Mosby says.
Denise King of the Australian Kangaroo Industry Association says the country is on the verge of a baby boom. The population of kangaroos fell below 30 million in the early 2000s following a severe drought, but has since rebounded and may soon exceed 60 million.
kangaroo massacre
Animal protection organizations condemn commercial slaughter as a “brutal slaughter” And they are pressuring major global sportswear brands such as Nike or Puma to stop using kangaroo leather in their products.
“Nike parted ways with its sole supplier of kangaroo leather in 2021 and will cease manufacturing any kangaroo leather products in 2023”A company spokesman stressed in March.
“These indigenous animals are slaughtered for commercial gain” The organization condemns Animals Australia.
But campaigns to end the industry, however well-intentioned, are misguided, warns George Wilson, one of the world’s leading experts in kangaroo population management.
An opinion shared by Mosby states that “Stopping killing kangaroos for their skin or meat will do no good. It will only make things worse” Highlights.
