”How many of those who want to shoot them have actually rescued an injured animal, raised a joey? None, I bet.”
WildKanga, you would lose your shirt if you put it on that bet.

"It's going to take a long time to get the thugs out of this country. To the wild life thugs -- I suggest you go to look at the Canberra cull if you like so see killing and animal abuse."

The "animal abuse" was locking a large number of animals in an area without enough feed and letting them continue to breed. Further "animal abuse" was perpetrated by delaying any humane actions by insisting that the DOD investigate the process of relocating the animals, despite there being no where willing to take them. So the protestors have unwittingly caused more animal abuse than would have happened had they just left tehm alone.

The killing is going on now and is humane. Far more so than what happens to any animal you have ever eaten.

I am a softie. That's why I think continuing to treat these poor animals they way they have been and finally putting them out of their misery is the right thing to do.

Adam Henry's excellent article is a timely warning on how wildlife in Australia is being managed.

Successive Australian governments clearly have been abject failures in sustaining a healthy biodiversity.

These governments, captured by the cattle and sheep industry, have shown little regard for native animals.

Now the kangaroo, unsuitable for live exports is regarded as vermin. Is it because their numbers exceed the quotas or market requirements for commercial slaughter?

So cull we must, this being the "necessary evil and the greater 'good'."

Live exports of feral animals include goats, deer, buffalo, camel and horses and numbers are increasing, therefore, I suspect that in the near future, these animals, due to their dollar value, will be better protected than the kangaroo.

In the meantime, man's clovenhoofed commercial animal has chewed its way through Australia, trashing the landscape, remaining oblivious to the fact that climate change is now, not 50 years into the future.

The owners of commercial animals are vociferously objecting to kangaroos highjacking THEIR properties. After centuries of occupying and managing the land, what do these owners suggest?

European settlement is responsible for the extinction of the trylacine, the kangaroo's only efficient predator. And while the dingo is reasonably efficient at reducing kangaroo numbers, we have set about poisoning this animal with relish in a bid to protect sheep and cattle.

So while we set about slaughtering the predator's predator, the extinctions of other native fauna and flora are rapidly increasing. Other species, the victims of man's killing lust, are increasing.

"Is there anywhere in Australia where they have explored the use of safe, perhaps even fenced, crossing routes from one area to another using scent and food to encourage the animals?"

None that I know of Mr Henry. Generally, it's shoot, trap or poison and to no avail but then wildlife corridors, animal deterrents and humane management are not priorities of our Australian governments.

As a result, the international community is judging Australia by its hypocrisy and immorality which is thinly veiled under a mask of "sound" economic management.

While I disagree with many of the sentiments expressed by the animal rights lobby, I can understand that they believe in their cause. What I find offensive is NOT that those opposed to the cull have that opinion, but that those same people will, without this same regard, label those of us who disagree with their stance “lustful killer” with total disregard for the real argument
The kangaroos were NOT in their native habitat.The fact that the kangaroos were over-breeding was due entirely to the situation that existed in this unnaturally protected habitat.
It was necessary to solve the problem of too many animals in too small an area.
Kangaroos are NOT human nor do they have human emotions. Yes they feel pain and fear.but this is not a reason to remain inactive in the face of an untenable situation. The kangaroos could not be left to suffer a slow painful death from starvation. THAT would have been true cruelty.
There were few reasonable alternatives to the problem. Relocation had its own considerable problems. Where do you relocate them to (Bearing in mind that the general population of kangaroos is too large and under pressure from drought)? Sterilisation was not a viable option, and would have caused huge stresses on the animals if implemented.
Finally, I do not believe it cruel to kill the kangaroos. Death in the wild is a natural part of the cycle. To kill them with the MINIMUM of trauma was the responsibility of the people performing the task and they performed the task professionally.
I do not like seeing animals suffer, but I am mindful that sometimes the alternatives to killing the animals is less palatable in the long term when the consequences of those alternatives are more suffering of those same animals.
Finally, I stress that MY position is that the DEATH of the animal in itself is NOT cruelty, assuming that the animal does not suffer unduly.
I understand many who read this will disagree, that is healthy! I understand and respect that you have different opinions to mine, please return that respect.

It is the convoluted mindset that gets me ''to do good, you might have to engage in necessary evil".

Aint it grand how people can defend things that are clearly wrong by cloaking it to a greater good

Im not sure wether to laugh or cry at the comment''The kangaroos were NOT in their native habitat.'' yes Canberra airforce base is'nt in australia mate.[but we know what you mean ,unmentioned in previous posts is that the biggest reason given was they COULD damage a jet.

but we get back to the greater good debate there dont we ,but really where is the greater good? its not as if the runways couldnt be fenced off [aparently by seeing the cull on tv ,they were all herded into a compound] ,

That 'fence' seems to have held the national symbol long enough to shoot them with a tranquilising dart one at a time ,and move them out of the compound one by one , then dispatch them via a long and stressfull period [and you say we dont do torture in oz?]

Shooters with spotlights could have quietly dispatched them ,with a lot less fuss , but of course we dont have sharp shooters [or snippers] in our armed forces ,one can only assume it was a deliberated provocation [or destraction] [scince when does the air FORCE need act permission]

Any way ive had my say [pity the kangeroos couldnt]
but then we are so good at killing for a percieved greater GOOD ,and creating distractions to keep the people busy [on other things]

These posts make very depressing reading. It seems a lot of Australians have no regard at all for our national emblem. They're a cruel mob.
The fact is 3.8 million kangaroos were shot last year and over one million of these were adult females.
Over one million pouch joeys were bashed to death and another million older joeys at foot were left to starve to death or be torn apart by foxes or wild dogs.
This is the world's largest and most cruel wildlife slaughter and it's happening right here in Australia.
A full time professional shooter phoned me recently to tell me that he has been shooting 70% females for the last year and can't even make a living as he can't find enough to shoot. He's looking for another job.
He too is sickened by killing the babies.
The populations are crashing and will crash even further with the high quotas and never ending drought.
Six species of kangaroo are already extinct, one from hunting, others will surely follow.
Our new Rudd government doesn't even care.