Category Archives: animal cruelty

kangaroo fur in their new loafers line is not chic!

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Gucci just launched their new loafers line with real kangaroo fur – endorsing the cruel treatment of iconic and highly social kangaroos.

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The annual kangaroo hunt is opposed by many in Australia and around the world. It is the largest land-based wildlife slaughter in the world. Shooting mother kangaroos and then ripping joeys out of their pouches to be clubbed or beheaded is proof of the cull’s cruelty. Additionally, if the goal is simply population control, humane alternatives exist to keep kangaroo populations in check.

Gucci’s fur-lined loafers first took centre stage in July when they made their debut appearance in the fashion brand’s menswear runway show. Soon after, Gucci launched the female equivalent as part of their 2015 Fall/Winter new season look.

Quartz reports that the fur lining on those Gucci slippers, clogs, and heels comes from wild kangaroos in Australia, and Gucci asserts that this is environmentally friendly.

Surely they are not suggesting that kangaroos are environmentally un-friendly?

Please urge Gucci to seek faux alternatives, stop using real fur and be leader in a humane chic line.

We are not our prehistoric ancestors. In this age of the 21st century, technology is so amazing that you can imitate/manufacture anything. There is really no need to exploit animals for their fur or hide.

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Kangaroo Industry NSW Deliberately Sabotaged the UNIQUE WEST NYANGAY GRAZING PROPERTY

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POOR kangaroos cited as being vicious killers waiting to attack people and knock them off their bikes!

Kangaroo habitat has been stolen from them, and wherever they go they are considered brutal pests

It’s not fair to be so labelled instead of being necessary to our environment as regenerators of native grasses.

Will we ever turn this around where it belongs?

Below written by former President of AWPC, Peter Preuss!

In 1996 NSW NPWS CAVED INTO PRESSURE FROM THE KANGAROO INDUSTRY AND DELIBERATELY SABOTAGED THE UNIQUE WEST NYANGAY NSW GRAZING PROPERTY KANGAROOS HAD NOT BEEN KILLED FOR 10 YEARS

(Peter Preuss BSc Botony Zoology and Ecology)

 

The manager had the radical idea that the rest of the world had it wrong when it came to kangaroo management. In his view, the property had actually improved in terms of overall vegetation cover and therefore potential grazing capacity over the time he had managed the property.

Pointing to the ground, he compared the round hoof print of a cow with the long tapered footprint of a kangaroo…

“When a salt-bush seed falls into the hoof-print of a cow, it might germinate after rain. The seedling however, dies as the evenly distributed moisture on the compacted soil dries up…Any seeding that falls into the footprint of a kangaroo on the other hand, will be washed to the lowest point of the long tapering foot-print of the kangaroo and possibly even be buried in the into hole left by the toe nail. Covered, and with moisture concentrated at one point, the germinating seedling has a far greater chance of survival.”

One day we may look back to this simple observation and ask…how did we not see this when we were killing kangaroos?

HOW COULD WE HAVE GOT IT SO WRONG?

In hind-sight, we may well ask how anyone could have got it so wrong. And yet, be it the consequences of erosion from excessive land clearing or the impact of introducing toads to control cane beetles, Australia’s short history of European settlement is dotted with examples of us ‘getting it wrong’.

Logically, more kangaroos means more kangaroo footprints; more kangaroo footprints means more germination sites for salt-bush seedlings and, more salt bush means more food for kangaroos. Salt-bush and kangaroos, having evolved together on this dry continent may in fact mutually benefit from each other’s existence. As cattle are even more fond of salt-bush than kangaroos, it seems we may need to review the extent to which kangaroos compete …

saltbush

(image: salt-bush that kangaroos help germinate)

NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TAKE AN INTEREST

Given the unique situation at West Nyangay, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service took an interest in the property. But unfortunately, with a change in management came a request by the Romani Pastoral Co. to dramatically reduce kangaroo numbers on the property in line with the zone killing average.

-Prior to issue of tags and subsequent shooting, NPWS would conduct a comprehensive survey of kangaroo on West Nyangay

· For comparison, NPWS to survey a similar sized adjoining property (Nth Bundy) subject to the ‘normal’ commercial shooting

· Based on the survey, kangaroos on West Nyangay would then be reduced by killing a negotiated number (not in line with zone average)

· Rather than the normal commercial practice of killing the larger kangaroos, the cull would take a cross section of the population

· Kangaroo dynamics on West Nyangay would be assessed during the cull and comparisons made with known regional populations.

· The short and medium term response of the population to the cull would be determined before further allocation of commercial tags

RESULTS

During April 1996, NPWS conducted comprehensive aerial counts of kangaroos on both West Nyangay and North Bundy (103)

· West Nyangay had a total of 1,428 kangaroos – more than ten times that of North Bundy. This was not surprising given that kangaroos had not been killed for ten years

· The density of kangaroos on North Bundy, however, was way below the zone average. From these figures alone it was clear that kangaroos were not ‘spilling out’ of West Nyangay and that there should have been no pressure from neighboring properties to kill kangaroos on West Nyangay

· Of considerable concern was the fact that while over 36% of kangaroos on West Nyangay were red kangaroos (515), only one red was counted on North Bundy. Commercial shooting had clearly displaced red kangaroos with greys by preferential harvesting.

· Based on the aerial survey, tags were allocated to kill almost half of the West Nyangay kangaroos. These tags included non commercial tags so that a cross section of the population could be taken. The species, sex and weight of every animal killed was recorded and the kill was well monitored to ensure a cross-sectional approach.

· The results showed that commercial killing distorts the age and sex ratio of kangaroo populations causing them to have the capacity to quickly increase again after every shoot. This together with the displacement of red kangaroos and the movement of kangaroos found to be caused by shooting were damming findings for the kangaroo industry.

· The study also revealed that 30% of the carcasses of commercially killed kangaroos, together with their dead and dying joeys are left in the field by commercial shooters. This promotes feral animals such as pigs and foxes which have other ‘deleterious effects’ on other land management practices.

NSW NPWS SABOTAGE RESEARCH

Finally, the National Parks and Wildlife Service had real data that questioned the value of the commercial shooting kill. Rather than use this data to justify further research, however, the National Parks Service simply issued a further 350 tags for West Nyangay in August 1996. This all but wiped out the kangaroos on West Nyangay. Neighbouring properties were also allowed to commercially take the larger than State average kangaroos as they fled, even though their total densities remained well below the zone average.

The initial program that was negotiated between Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC), the National Parks Service (NPWS) and the Romani Pastoral Company in the interest of ‘real research’ was thus aborted.

Obviously the NPWS realised that the data from West Nyangay showed that commercial shooting threatened the red kangaroo and actually caused grey kangaroos to increase in numbers rapidly after a shoot. Giving in to pressure from the kangaroo industry, NPWS deliberately sabotaged the program.

Kindest regards

Maryland

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Let companion birds fly – Petition

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BAN BIRD SALES AUSTRALIA- THOUSANDS OF BIRDS NEED TO BE ADOPTED!

Birds are born to fly and forage freely!!

But birds can’t fly in Australia.

Australian companion birds continue to be subjected to a miserable life!

You don’t need to look far to see bird abuse and neglect and horrible bird exploitation.

There are thousands and thousands of birds bred to be sold….as a hobby!! Birds are highly intelligent but instead sold for fun and extra cash!

Bird breeders and sellers are having a ball selling and trading birds anywhere because they can!

Because no one is stopping them! And there are NO BIRD LAWS IN AUSTRALIA!

cagedbird

(image: **The photo above is a lonely stressed cockatiel parrot for sale in Melbourne, living in a small filthy cage on the ground, advertised in a gumtree ad. The water container is full of faeces.)

Codes of Practice are NOT mandatory so bird keepers do whatever they want.

“The bird breeders and bird sellers have taken advantage of the fact that no authority is monitoring or enforcing laws to protect how birds are handled and cared for”.

I have seen for myself at private bird breeder properties, pet shops, bird cage makers displaying birds and markets around Australia- TRAGEDY.

The constant breeding and captivity results in huge psychological and physiological trauma to birds. Most people, including breeders, have no idea how to care for and accommodate companion birds.

They don’t care that their birds are expected to breed, breed and breed. They don’t even consider the emotional and physiological implications on the bird when the bird is expected to separate from the bird family or bird partner- just to be sold….as a hobby.

“I could easily rescue thousands of birds every day”.
There is an oversupply and most of these poor birds are sold or traded to inexperienced bird carers who perceive them as a ‘pretty object.’ Most other birds are stolen as eggs from their mothers and incubated in bedrooms throughout Australia.

It is unimaginable that Australian birds can exist in such a condition and bird breeders and sellers are proud of showing photos of the neglected birds for all the world to see!

I am calling for all Australian state governments and RSPCA to:

• Ban the sale of companion birds at markets, expos and sales, pet shops, online and backyard selling.
• Introduce companion bird welfare laws as the current codes of practice are totally ignored and not mandatory.
• Ban bird breeding and promote bird adoption to save thousands of neglected and rejected homeless birds.

About Paris Yves
Paris Yves has cared for birds all her life. She is  a professional Bird Behaviourist and Bird Counsellor and regularly liaises with world-renowned animal behaviourists to ensure she is on top of bird behaviour research and findings. An experienced media commentator, Yves has become the voice of welfare and legal rights for companion birds in Australia.

Media Contact:
Paris Yves
Mobile: 0413 530 419
Email: paris@letcompanionbirdsfly.com.au
Images of abused/neglected birds can be viewed at http://www.letcompanionbirdsfly.com.au/campaign/

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Media Release: “Canberra Kangaroo culls rely on stale politicized science”

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MEDIA RELEASE: 15 May 2016: “Canberra Kangaroo culls rely on stale politicized science”: Australian Wildlife Protection Council says

Today, Maryland Wilson, AWPC President, said that Evolutionary Sociologist, Sheila Newman recently reviewed the government science behind the ACT culls, which will begin anew on Monday 16 April 2016. Newman found it excessively narrow, self-referencing, mechanistic and old-fashioned.   Newman reported in Conference Paper: REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF CANBERRA’S KANGAROO CULLS that:

“Harvesting, damage mitigation and culling probably actually accelerate population growth in roos because the smaller ones survive and adapt by sexually maturing earlier – which speeds up fertility turnover.

Since 2003 DNA studies have shown that ACT and southern NSW roos, both male and female, migrate at significant rates and for longer distances than the ACT model assumes. Migration has probably been mistaken for fertility, rendering ACT roo counts unreliable and invalid. The ACT needs to stop culling and widen its research base to consider various genetically based algorithms that naturally restrain fertility opportunities in kangaroos.”

Examples of such algorithms include separate gender pathways, with ‘sexual segregation’ where male and female populations live apart. It is likely that the stable presence of mature dominant males and females in family and mob organisation inhibits sexual maturity and activity as has been shown in studies of other species, such as macaques and superb fairy wrens (the latter cooperative breeders). In humans, girls brought up with step-fathers who came late to the family were more likely to mature sexually earlier due to absence of Westermarck Effect.)”

“The ACT’s senior Ecologist, Donald Fletcher, found in his Phd that local kangaroos lived without damaging pasture or starving at densities of 5 per hectare, yet he had supported the ACT program that deems kangaroos at more than one per hectare to be in danger of starving and a threat to their own habitat.” 

crueltyillegalherdingcrashing

The ACT government in Canberra is pursuing a policy of rapid human population growth, mostly through publicly invited economic immigration, yet it blames kangaroos for being crowded out of the suburbs.

In June 2016 ACT – South West Australian Capital Territory was the fastest growing area in Australia and grew by 127.3%. (ABS http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3218.0)

“Planned wildlife corridors need to be made safe and long-term viable to cope with people, car and kangaroo population movements. Most Australians love kangaroos and don’t want rapid human population growth. Australia’s capital needs to revise its growth policy in line with sustainability, democracy and appreciation of our unique ecology,” said Maryland Wilson, President, AWPC.

CONTACT: MARYLAND WILSON: 613 359788570 and 61417148501 and SHEILA NEWMAN 0412319669

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Petition: end the slaughter of kangaroos in the ACT

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Frankie Seymour’s petition:

Australian Capital Territory government is still killing thousands of kangaroos every year in a cruel, unnecessary, ineffective and ecologically destructive annual slaughter on public reserves. This has been going on since 2009, and we expect the latest slaughter to be announced any day.

In 2015, the Australian Capital Territory government authorised the slaughter of at least 25772 kangaroos across the Territory. Most of these were to be killed on farms because farmers believe that native kangaroos compete for pasture with introduced livestock.

*Overwhelming evidence has shown that the slaughter is: ineffective in terms of reducing kangaroo grazing pressure on reserves (because kangaroos are pretty mobile within their ranges, and quickly move in from nearby farms to make use of the empty space);

*unnecessary (because eastern grey kangaroos are so slow breeding, have such a high infant mortality rate and manage their own populations effectively in times of food shortage); and

*actively harmful to ecosystems (because kangaroo grazing ensures diversity of habitat for a great diversity of others species, many of which cannot thrive in either ungrazed land or livestock grazed land).

The evidence also shows that the government’s kangaroo counts are inherently inaccurate.

Evolutionary sociologist and AWPC policy advisor, Sheila Newman, has criticised the research base used in the ACT Kangaroo Management program. (See https://candobetter.net/node/4822). Her review of the literature concludes that “culling” may actually increase kangaroo populations by speeding up reproduction, with the selecting in of smaller, earlier maturing kangaroos and the selecting out of big, mature animals, in a harvested population like effect.

ACT kangaroo management of kangaroos is narrowly based on numbers, rather than mob dynamics. “Culling” can increase mob sizes, as it destroys mob control from larger, mature adults, and gives breeding opportunities to younger animals.  Ms Newman says: “…harvesting, damage mitigation and culling probably accelerates population growth in roos” because of the ‘harvesting effect’ on their evolution which tends to select-in smaller animals which reproduce earlier.

The government’s own ecologist has admitted that the government’s assertions about kangaroos being a threat to vulnerable species were just “PR”, and that its claim that killing kangaroos will benefit biodiversity generally is based on a simplistic assumption that more biomass (vegetation) is better for biodiversity than the diversity of vegetation achieved by kangaroo grazing.

Furthermore, evidence shows that even the weak and cynical provisions of the Code of Practice are not obeyed. Although the Code of Practice requires kangaroos not killed instantly to be immediately euthanased by a shot to the head or heart, one young male kangaroo found in a government burial pit had been shot, bludgeoned, stabbed, then died of either blood loss, or possibly suffocation from being buried while still alive.

The ACT government must stop hiding behind its out-dated Kangaroo Management Plan, start looking at the actual evidence, and take some measure of responsibility for its own decisions.

Sign this Petition: End the slaughter of kangaroos on public land in the Australian Capital Territory.

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Petition: Stop the trade of kangaroo meat to China

We who sign below object to the sale of kangaroo meat to China in the free trade agreement.

Studies show that the grazing pressure of one kangaroo is equivalent to just 0.15 – 0.2 of a sheep, and is minute when compared to cattle. In practical terms this means that the damage on grazing lands attributed to kangaroos has been grossly overestimated by as much as 470 per cent. “This would mean that kangaroos are a much smaller component of the ‘total grazing pressure’ than is generally accepted.”

The current commercial slaughter is cruel, unjustified, unscientific, and is devastating to Australia’s kangaroos . Research has established that kangaroos are not in epidemic / “plague” proportions, that farm waterholes play no part in increasing kangaroo numbers, that few joeys survive, in fact only 25%, survive to adulthood.

The kangaroo killing industry has been protected as if it were a national savior of Australia’s rural economy, supported by a series of myths which no one ever bothers investigate. The industry claims that kangaroo grazing contributes to 30% of grazing pressure, when this is totally untrue.

A female kangaroo and joey have as close a bond as primates. Each decade, over 30,000,000 are killed, leaving one million orphaned joeys, to die from chilling, starvation, attached by feral animals, each year.

Kangaroos are not killed hygienically in an abattoir and injuries are not monitored at the point of kill because the kill is un-policed. There is no potable water, to wash knives, hatchets, the ute, hanging hooks for inside the chiller boxes. Kangaroos are shot in the outback at night in unhygienic conditions, disemboweled among the faeces of other animals, dirt and dust and insects.

In 2009 Russia banned kangaroo meat due to hygiene issues. Raw kangaroo meat can carry hydatids, nematodes, parasitic worms, and other bacterial fungal and viral diseases, such as salmonella and E-coli.

Wake up Australia, while there’s still time to save your wonderful kangaroos.

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