The seventh of September is a sombre day to acknowledge raising the plight of all our threatened species in Australia. As some politicians will have the opportunity to hold cute furry wildlife and many will advocate for stronger laws to protect nature and seek to increase funding for species recovery. The question must be asked if we have collectively actually learnt anything behind the date and associated story. Before we can effectively address the solution of recovering our threatened species we need to learn the lessons of the past. The extinction of the Tasmanian tiger as history tells us is one of prejudice and intolerance because the Tasmanian tiger was considered a pest. Sadly, this lesson has not been learnt and views held today about wildlife being pests are as strong as ever.
It was almost a month ago that it was reported that “kangaroo numbers were exploding and invading pastures” in a Victorian newspaper. To use language describing war relating to kangaroos is shameful and outrageous and the use of highly emotive and irrational quotes must be replaced with grounded
scientific fact.
If not Australia will continue to hold dubious records like no 1 in
mammalian extinction in the world or responsible for the world’s largest commercial land based wildlife slaughter.
In Victoria the state’s leading environmental law the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act has action statements to recover threatened species (many species still don’t have an action statement for recovery) however, action statements no 13 & 14 are statements of extinct mammals in Victoria.
The statements combined number 13 mammal extinctions in Victoria with 6 belonging to the kangaroo family or closely related. We can put kangaroos into three categories in Victoria: extinct, threatened with extinction or shot en masse.
Extinct species
Eastern Hare-wallaby Lagorchestes leporides
Brush-tailed Bettong Bettongia penicillata
Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea fraenata
Tasmanian Pademelon Thylogale billardierii
Tasmanian Bettong Bettongia gaimardi
Rufous Bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens
Threatened with extinction
Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata Critically endangered
Eastern Wallaroo Osphranter robustus roboustus Endangered
Long-footed Potoroo Potorous longipes Endangered
Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus trisulcatus Vulnerable
Rufous-bellied Pademelon Thylogale billardierii Threatened
Shot on mass Through Authority to Control Wildlife permits in 2023
Eastern Grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus 68104 shot
Western Red Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus 6346
Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus rufus 6780
Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus 370
Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor the one exception for 2023
Kangaroos killed both through the ATCW and the Kangaroo Harvest programme saw a combined total of 147,607 in 2023.
Father’s Day 2024 Seawinds gardens Arthurs Seat
A shift is needed if we are to stop the decline of the kangaroo family in Australia and the first question is what is it that makes us uniquely proud to be an Australian? Many of us will have different answers to this question however, most of us would agree a love of our unique fauna especially the kangaroo with its symbol used throughout our communities. We have more in common with kangaroos than most of us realise, like us kangaroos are very much social animals. There was a symmetry to see Eastern Grey Kangaroos sharing the Seawinds picnic grounds lying on the lawns surrounded by their kin just like the many families who came to the park from across Melbourne to celebrate Father’s day. A sight not always seen at SKOMP’S Sunset with the kangaroos walks n talks supported by Kangaroos Alive.
To better understand how much we do have in common with our local Eastern Grey Kangaroo mobs, book a ticket to one of our upcoming walks n talks: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/save-kangaroos-on-the-mornington-peninsula-86565666433
In the quiet moments I've shared with kangaroos, I've developed a deep respect
for their resilience—a quality fitting for an animal proudly displayed on the Coat of Arms of a nation that celebrates courage, mateship, and resilience as features of life as an Australian. Yet, these same animals are paradoxically culled for pet food and left for dead on our roads. This stark cognitive dissonance must be confronted through education of the public and advocacy with policymakers.
Kangaroos are a vital link to Australia's environmental and cultural history and
we must ensure their survival through coexistence, for only when they perish
will we truly realise the profound loss of their presence. Failure to protect them through coexistence is an indictment on the nation and what it means to live in the lucky country.
Kind regards
Craig Thomson
0451932380
Save the Kangaroos on Mornington Peninsula - SKOMP
President
Bank details
Save the Kangaroos on Mornington Peninsula
BSB 633 000
Account 201 113 123
[email protected]
www.peninsulakangaroos.com.au
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We pay our respects to the Bunurong and Boon wurrung people of the Kulin nation and
honour their Elders past, present and emerging.
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