AWPC concerned for increasing attacks on wildlife with bows and arrows

Bows and Arrows being used illegally against our Wildlife

Wildlife carers say there are an increasing number of bow and arrow attacks on native animals, prompting calls for the weapons to be prohibited. Wildlife rescue organisation WIRES says it is seeing an increase in the number of native animals being shot with arrows, with devastating consequences.

A Hunter Valley animal welfare group has raised fears of copycat arrow attacks on kangaroos, in the wake of the death of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe. The eastern grey kangaroo was discovered by a man walking his dog along Coal Road at Muswellbrook about 11am.

It was reported in that a kangaroo was shot with an arrow on Toorbul’s main street in February two years ago. It has since come to light that a second animal was shot within 24 hours of the original attack.

August this year, a female kangaroo was left to die in pain after being shot through the chest with a sports arrow. Distressed Morisset Hospital staff called a rescuer from Hunter Wildlife Rescue, to help the wounded animal after patients spotted it near a mob. It was said to be the latest in a string of bow and arrow attacks that native animal carers have reported in recent times.

September last year, an injured kangaroo that survived more than nine days in the bush with a crossbow arrow lodged in its head is now recovering after surgery. Volunteers searched for the roo, fondly known as Spot, among locals in the Macedon Ranges since he was first spotted with the arrow protruding from his head on August 31, 2015. Resident Mr Smith said he called police on August 12 to report seeing two men dressed in camouflage and carrying crossbows on his Ashbourne property. When police attended the property, Mr Smith said the men had claimed to be “target shooting”. Kangaroos are not mere “targets” for aiming at and maiming!

(image: female kangaroo shot through the leg in Grafton in January Photo: P Edwards WIRES)

These self-styled “hunters” and their weapons are all too prevalent, and are causing chaos and misery, threatening our protected wildlife. This is not a “sport” but a demonstration of personality weakness, illegal activities and sadism. How many more native animals, especially kangaroos, must suffer this brutality, and enormous pain? It’s clearly too easy to acquire bows and arrows, and they are lethal weapons that should NOT be freely available. There should be psychological counselling for these, no doubt, men who have some personality disorders!

It’s said that they are imported, online, from overseas? If they are actually sporting equipment, then they should be confined to club rooms, not be available for evil intent, to kill wildlife!

We the Committee and the members of Australian Wildlife Protection Council want to see more scrutiny with regards the illegal (legal?) acquisition and imports of these dangerous weapons, such as bows and arrows, and increased security precautions that threaten our precious wildlife from criminals. There needs to be tougher penalties for animal cruelty, as a deterrent, and our government needs to give more patriotic status to our national fauna, especially our kangaroos!

These imported weapons, bows and arrows, must be prohibited from entering Australia, except where they are authorised as legitimately belonging to a recognised Archery Club!

Thank you, and we wait for your response

 

Letter to:

Minister for Trade and Investment

The Hon Andrew Robb AO MP

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

55 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3001

28 Oct, 2015