AS THE BUSHFIRES continue to kill kangaroos, The Victorian State Government has lifted their emergency moratorium of the commercial killing of kangaroos.
No wildlife assessment has been completed.
The number of surviving kangaroos is unknown.
Write directly to the Victorian Premier Daniel Andres today to voice your concerns
daniel.andrews@parliament.
Or phone directly (03) 9651 5000
#ShameAustralia
#KangaroosAlive
#AnimalWelfare
MILLIONS OF NATIVE animals have been killed and survivors deprived of food, shelter and water thanks to the unprecedented bushfires sweeping the country, on the back of extensive drought. The drought is predicted to continue as well as the fires for some time.
In our own backyard, Wildcare (Queanbeyan, Bungendore, and nearby rural areas) and the Native Animal Rescue Group NARG (Braidwood area), along with individual property owners, are ramping up efforts to provide food, water, and in some cases shelter. You can help. See how, below.
The North Black Range bushfire, between Bungendore and Braidwood, is the nearest fire arena. Property owners on the periphery of the burnt-out area are seeing and reporting animals searching for food, water and shelter. Affected animals are turning up in unusual places.
Wildcare and NARG volunteers, with the help of the community, have started to deliver essential food — grass, hay, pellets, bird seed — and other food, such as fruit and native tree and shrub cuttings. Food stations are positioned in strategic locations. It’s reported to be working — with animals coming in to feed. Watering points have also been set up.
Nesting boxes for possums and gliders have started to be erected to provide shelter. Property owners and members of the public have been extremely helpful in maintaining the food and water supply and for the cash donations needed to support this program. More needs to be done.
Fire and drought-affected property owners who need assistance with the cost of helping can make use of the Food4Wildlife scheme. Food (pellets for macropods or possums and bird seed) can be picked up from one of four collection points in Bungendore and Braidwood.
Visit wildcare.com.au for specific locations. For example, in Bungendore there are two bins outside Bungendore Produce on Gibraltar Street for that purpose.
Hay is also available to support grass-eating animals (contact haydrop@wildcare.com.au).
Wildcare thanks the many businesses who have donated food and material to support this effort, which will continue for many months until the native habitat recovers.
With soaring temperatures, creeks and dams are drying out, so providing a water source for native animals is vital, including in our own drought-affected areas.
Put out bowls and troughs, or similar large containers, in shady locations for our native friends and keep the birdbaths topped up. Place stones and branches in the container to allow access and exit by insects and smaller animals.
CAPTION: Our main picture shows a friend of The District Bulletin in Canberra, topping up water containers on Black Mountain, while guarding against the world’s most toxic hot air … the impact of the bushfires and government climate policy. ON RIGHT: RFS-rescued possum receiving treatment from Wildcare. Images supplied.
Cash donations to Wildcare or NARG are vital for the ongoing demand to resupply food and buy materials that support affected animals.
If people wish to donate, visit wildcare.com.au and find out the ways that this can be done. Please give whatever you can to help save the surviving wildlife from the North Black Range bushfire. Call Wildcare on 6299 1966, or NARG on 4846 1900, for further advice.
Working particularly with wildlife carers on private property, Humane Society International (HSI) has opened an appeal for donations and an emergency hotline for carers needing assistance.
Wildlife carers in need can call 1800 333 737.
HSI has already assisted with delivering emergency water supplies and supplementary feed for rescued wombats, kangaroos and flying-foxes.
HSI is also funding the building of additional rehabilitation enclosures for animals like koalas to ease the pressure on carers who are inundated with animals.
Many of HSI-supported Wildlife Land Trust members are wildlife carers, and many have lost everything they worked so hard to build. The organisation is pledging it will be there for the long haul.
For the many people who want to help animals in areas surrounding the fires, a simple start is to put out shallow bowls of fresh water. Fruits and vegetables can also be attached to trees to help flying-foxes, birds and possums, but some foods such as bread can be harmful to wildlife and should be avoided.
To contribute to the fund, visit: www.hsi.org.au/bushfire
Two other wildlife-friendly and helping organisations we have heard of that take donations to help surviving wildlife in Victoria, NSW and Queensland are:
We join Sara Tilling and Gary Henderson once more, this time Sara talks about grief and loss and rebuilding the future from the caravan that is to be their temporary home. There is an impassioned thank you for the many of you from around the world that have given the support and kindness that will make a new future possible.
“Like us, all living creatures don’t want to die and will fight to survive. Sometimes despite all odds we hang in there, not yet ready to leave for many reasons. Maybe just because you find someone that is prepared to sit with you, love you and give it their all to help you. To give you the strength to fight.”
— Sara Tilling
The money donated to the Cobargo Wildlife Sanctuary will be spent on rebuilding the wildlife care and rehabilitation infrastructure and equipment, compounds, sheds and the like. Money will also be spent on revegetating the property with the native plant species that will help to give the animals who come to live at the sanctuary in the future, the very best chance of a happy and successful life. There is a vast amount of work to be done.
You can assist in this work by donating HERE.
Sara mentions the attitudes of governments in Australia to wildlife and conservation. What has occurred over the last few days is telling. Some good, some very bad.
The Commonwealth Government of Australia (Canberra) has pledged $50 million to assist wildlife in the firegrounds across this vast continent. The states most impacted at this time are New South Wales (Cobargo), Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. The $50 million in funding will be split between an expert advisory panel and community groups and Koalas will be a focus for restoration efforts, with as much as 30 per cent of Koala habitat destroyed. We shall see what happens.
In New South Wales, where some 8.5 million hectares have been destroyed and whose current government’s attitudes to wildlife conservation are nothing less than egregious appear to be planning on businesses as usual with no changes to lax wildlife laws or the level of commercial or other permits being issued. “DPIE will be monitoring fire and harvesting activity within the commercial management zones and will be engaging with commercial harvesters and animal dealers that may operate within the affected zones,” the spokesperson said. “Our goal is to ensure that Kangaroo populations remain ecologically sustainable.”
In Victoria, the Victorian Government, although details and how these are to be enforced are vague, has suspended its relatively new and doomed Kangaroo Pet Food Industry. The commercial wildlife industry in Victoria is doomed because much of the populations of species being exploited are now gone because of the large numbers of animals killed in the last few years. As far as I can tell the Victorian Government has no plans to put a stop to the vast scale culling of wildlife it claims to be a nuisance or overabundant. In Victoria in the ten-year period 2009-2018 inclusive a total of 32,147 of these ATCW permits (not commercial) were issued for Australian species covering 1,513,605 animals across 82 native species including for 26,507 Wombats, in addition Wombats are unprotected in much of the state and killing them does not require a permit. This Government describes Koalas as overabundant (nonsense).
While not formally announced, the Victorian Government (its Ministers) have also flagged their intention to proceed with this year’s Duck shooting season despite the devastating impact on waterbird populations in Australia from heat events, long term and severe drought and now the horrific fires. South Australia has already announced that despite the devastating fires it will proceed with its Duck shooting season.
An area not that much smaller than Greece, has been destroyed in Australia over the last few weeks and because the firegrounds are so vast, the wildlife that does survive is in immediate danger of starvation and dehydration, all food has gone, and water sources, if they remain, are contaminated. The Australian Veterinary Association is desperately calling on the Victorian Government to airdrop food into inaccessible, bushfire-affected land in Victoria to save starving wildlife.
“Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the Government was taking expert advice to get the best outcome for native wildlife and biodiversity. “We’re considering supplementary feeding for threatened species in targeted areas if and when it’s appropriate and safe to do so,” she said.
As President of the Australian Wildlife Protection Council I have called on the government to stop all wildlife killing activities and to begin food drops with immediate effect. Towards the end of 2019 it looked to me, with all the disasters and potential disasters that we describe here, that the Victorian Government were ‘culling’ wildlife in state and national parks in Victoria. The response I received beyond the usual spin was as follows:
“If you require any more detailed information at this stage, we encourage you to submit your query through our Freedom of Information Process”.
Something to hide perhaps?
Australia’s ABC report that “Animals Australia director Lyn White said some species in fire-affected areas were critically endangered such as the mountain pygmy-possum and brush-tailed rock-wallaby found in Gippsland. The charity offered $100,000 to the Victorian Government last week to help purchase food, but said they have not received a response to the offer”.
Copyrighted picture by Maria Taylor
> SIGN PETITION, DIRECT LINK HERE
In June 2018, the NSW Liberal/National government ‘relaxed red tape’ with regards to the already under-regulated and inhumane system of culling kangaroos.
This unethical measure paved the way for an increased number of inexperienced shooters to kill kangaroos. As a result, kangaroos are being maimed, killed inhumanely and joeys at foot left to starve to death at numbers that are totally unacceptable to the Australian community.
Already, hundreds of thousands of kangaroos are suffering unethical body-shots in the commercial industry. With these relaxed conditions, a major increase in the inhumane treatment of vulnerable kangaroos is certain.
‘The RSPCA’s research shows commercial shooters have lifted their accuracy rates from 86 to 96 percent.
The four percent variable still equates to 100,000 kangaroos. Farmers and sporting shooters, it says, have shown no improvement in their accuracy rates’
— Kellie Russell, Landline 2002
‘What happens when those does [kangaroo mothers] are shot before the shooter can get to the joey is that those joeys have scarpered off, the reality is that those joeys will die from starvation and if not from predation and that in a humane society can’t be tolerated.’
— Dr Hugh Wirth, RSPCA, Landline 2002
‘The problem with shooting and culling kangaroos is that when these animals are shot they often aren’t killed and it is extraordinarily inhumane. If we were processing domestic livestock the same way we do kangaroos it would shut down immediately. People would be just horrified. I think we need to have that same empathy and understanding for kangaroos as we would a cow.
— Terri Irwin, ‘Kangaroo’ the movie, 2017
• Download or copy and paste our draft letter into an email or letter (example below)
• Use our letter as is, or individualise it with your concerns.
• Insert the date, your address details and the minister’s address.
We recommend you send a copy to one (or all) of the following:
NSW Premier
The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, MP
GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001
Tel: (02) 9228 5239
To contact the Premier visit www.nsw.gov.au and use the ‘Contact the Premier’ facility
Minister for Energy and Environment
The Hon. Matt Kean, MP
GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001
Tel: (02) 8574 6150
To contact the Minister for Energy and Environment visit www.nsw.gov.au and use the ‘Contact NSW Ministers’ facility
Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales
The Hon. Adam Marshall, MP
GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001
Tel: (02) 8574 5450
To contact the Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales visit www.nsw.gov.au and use the ‘Contact NSW Ministers’ facility
AND your local MPs, Greens, Labor, Liberal, National and Independent candidates
[Draft Letter Example]
(Insert date)
(Insert name of Minister)
(Insert position)
(Insert address)
(Insert email address)
(Insert your full name)
(Insert your postal address)
(Insert your email address
(Insert your phone number)
Dear (insert the minister/candidate’s title and name),
I/WE DEMAND AN END TO THE CRUELTY OF KANGAROOS IN NSW!
NSW kangaroo management is unacceptable to any compassionate and moral Australian citizen, and it just got worse.
In June 2018, the NSW Liberal/National government ‘relaxed red tape’ with regard to the already under-regulated and inhumane system of private culling of kangaroos in addition to a huge commercial hunt across the state.
This unethical political appeal to some NSW farmers also recruits city shooters to kill kangaroos in a totally unmonitored program. More kangaroos than ever are being maimed before death and unweaned joeys at foot left to starve.
In the commercial industry hundreds of thousands of kangaroos suffer face or body shots annually before being finally killed (RSPCA statistics). The non-commercial ‘less professional’ killing, promoted by NSW Primary Industries, now with even less conditions, is unacceptably inhumane. Here is an eyewitness account from NSW landowners who have witnessed commercial hunting along their property line for nearly a decade.
“We have seen hundreds of kangaroo’s heads that have been butchered and left in the field. Many do not have a gunshot wound to them. We have witnessed kangaroo heads that have been shot in regions of the head other than the brain case, often in the front of the head, [these kangaroos] may not have died until sometime after, often showing the signs of gruesome secondary trauma from a length of metal pipe or an axe.
Joeys are often not killed with their mothers but ripped from her pouch and discarded into the bushes, not even counted as a statistical ‘kill’. We hear them calling for their dead mothers until the sun comes up. We see them in the mornings lost and bewildered. We may see them again the next evening, but usually never again after that. This is considered ‘acceptable collateral damage’.
The group social structure is ruined. The mob is in disarray. The fields smell of death.”
The nature of kangaroo hunting and culling for economic purposes is inherently cruel to individual animals, destroys the kangaroo presence in natural ecosystems and bloodies our national icon, shaming Australia in other countries.
We are among many citizens who say it has to stop and will vote for reform of wildlife management.
Yours sincerely,
(Insert your name)
(without becoming a member) click here.
Thank You!
“Originally when we asked for the $15,000 about 50 percent of the koala habitat was burned, so we did have plans on releasing them into the remaining 50 …
[Sam Mitchell of Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park told the ABC].
“Since then, another 30 — maybe even more — percent of the habitat has gone, so now we have to house them for quite some time until we know we can release them, because we have to wait for the forests to regrow.”
Mr Mitchell said not only koalas but other marsupials and reptiles needed care. (gofundme)
Mr Mitchell said his business employed 12 staff but would slow down “dramatically” as a result of the fires.
He said he had been “overwhelmed” with medical supplies and the park was continuing to receive up to 50 new koalas per day, as well as other injured animals.
“I’ve always dedicated my life to saving animals and I’m doing everything I can for these guys,” he said.
“Every day we’re seeing more and more animals, we’re building more and more infrastructure, we’re going through a lot more medical supplies.”
Mr Mitchell said a final decision had not yet been made on how all of the money raised would be spent.
“People keep saying ‘what are you going to do with these koalas in a year’s time? What are you going to do with all these supplies?’ That’s tomorrow’s problem,” he said.
READ THE FULL STORY:
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park owner featured in viral drop bear video says he is facing backlash for donation deluge
By Daniel Keane, ABC Radio Adelaide
MAIN IMAGE: A Humane Society worker gives water to a koala on Kangaroo Island.
SOURCE: Humane Society
AROUND THE WEB: RELATED STORY
RSPCA calls for Kangaroo Island volunteers amid fears of ‘second wave of mass wildlife deaths’ (due to starvation)
By ABC News
On 15 January 2020 Lyn Gynther, Kangawatch Queensland posted on Facebook:
Kangaroos in their hundreds in Queensland are huddled under trees on the Surat to St George Road looking extremely poor because farmers have fenced off their properties and the roos can’t access water … this is absolutely disgusting and it is happening right across other parts of Queensland as well where this cluster fencing is being erected.
What is the matter with the government in this country not to mention the RSPCA for not stopping this fencing fracturing the ecosystem to begin with … I’m so angry, I hope every farmer in that area goes broke. And I don’t wish harm to anyone normally but anyone who can stand by and do this is not worth the piece of paper their name is written on.
On 16 January Lyn posted:
I just rang the Maranoa Council (1300 007 662) about the kangaroos on the Surat–St George Road and asked that they please put out water stations … I was told they would NOT be helping the kangaroos in any way and the council have been in fact funding farmers to erect exclusion fencing and since this has happened, the sheep farmers production rate has increased from 0.1% lambing to 60% lambing as a result of wild dogs [being kept out] but they did admit that exclusion fencing has also been erected on some properties solely to keep macropods locked out.
They further told me that it is not their responsibility to worry about wildlife and that the reason they won’t be putting any water out for them is because it will cost them money to do so and they need to spend the rate payers money in line with how the community expect it to be spent … I was then told to contact DPI who deal with the QLD FERAL PEST INITIATIVE program.
They said there are 5 water facilities on the stock route (which farmers can also use — so obviously there are also stock on the stock routes eating what little feed there is left for wildlife) and those water facilities are 1 every 10klms … they are aware of 2 that are dry due to the drought but still will not help the animals. Oh, and BioSecurity may also be someone to speak to (I was told), and at the end of the day Agricultural Management has to come before the wildlife.
Comment thread to Lyn’s post indicate there are many Australian citizens and ratepayers who agree with Lyn and would not agree with the council.
Lyn then wrote to a Brisbane journalist:
I contacted the Maranoa Council yesterday [see outcome above] after I got a report that more than 200 kangaroos were locked out with the exclusion fencing on the Surat–St George Road and they were unable to access water.
ALSO note that DES [Queensland Dept of Environment and Science] have tried to investigate a number of illegal culls (eg helicopter blasting away the roos; urea in water; illegal shooting) but no one will speak when they get out there … also permits are not being applied for, they are just doing it on a grand scale now … but still the DES are issuing permits to others knowing full well it is going on.
— Kanga Watch Inc. Qld Division www.kangawatch.com
Contact Lyn for further information and please support her efforts for the kangaroos (and other wildlife like emus, as seen in this image taken mid-2018) locked out of their usual wildlife corridors. This exclusion fencing (inset) locks out and traps wildlife (then often shot) has become a feature of an opportunistic return in central Queensland to sheep farming as wool prices have recovered.
Lyn Gynther — QLD Co-Ordinator
C/- Post Office, Yangan Q 4371
Ph: 07 4664 8383 / M: 0432 022 043
> READ MORE on the Queensland situation
Us and Them — The End Game? by Maria Taylor
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