What’s the first animal that springs to mind when I mention Australia? A kangaroo, right? Well, that’s no surprise considering the fact that it is the national animal of Australia. The kangaroo is the very essence of the Land Down Under, so much so that even their all-conquering cricket team is referred to as The Kangaroos. But I am sure it would shock you if I were to tell you that the country is all set to kill almost 2000 kangaroos.
Stunning as this might sound, Australia is going to kill 1900 kangaroos this year.
The Australian government has decided to put to death around 1900 kangaroos by the 1st of August, to control their population. It sounds bizarre, but the reason given by the government is that the growing population of the animal “is causing de-vegetation and the complete degradation of certain areas, leaving a devastating impact on the environment.”
The killing is done by government-hired shooters, who shoot the animal in head, for an instant death.
This is not the first time that Australia will carry out lawful killing of kangaroos. In 2008 alone, around 4000 kangaroos were shot dead. This cruel act is carried out in the night, when the animals are grazing in the grounds.
Often when a shooter misses a shot, it ends up wounding the animal badly, leading to a slow and painful death. Baby kangaroos are left to die or are euthanised after their mother is killed.
But, this move to save the environment by culling the innocent animal seems to be a huge facade, with a cunning propaganda behind it. Animal rights organisations and NGOs, that are fighting for the kangaroos, claim that in reality the mass killing of kangaroos aims at promoting the kangaroo meat industry.
And to encourage people to eat kangaroo meat, they’re being told that kangaroos are a hugely overpopulated species, and so, by consuming its meat, they’re doing everyone a favour.
Apparently, there’s not scientific logic to back the argument that the kangaroos population is rapidly increasing. Kangaroos, being slow-reproducing animals, with females able to produce only one joey per year, it is biologically impossible for the animal’s population to explode.
