There's an old Australian stockman, lying, dying,
and he gets himself up on one elbow,
and he turns to his mates,
who are gathered 'round him and he says:

Watch me wallabys feed mate.
Watch me wallabys feed.
They're a dangerous breed mate.
So watch me wallabys feed.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down sport,
tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down sport,
tie me kangaroo down.

Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl,
keep me cockatoo cool.
Don't go acting the fool, Curl,
just keep me cockatoo cool.
Altogether now!

Take me koala back, Jack,
take me koala back.
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac,
so take me koala back.
Altogether now!

Let me # go loose, Lou,*
let me # go loose.
They're of no further use, Lou,
so let me # go loose.
Altogether now!

Mind me platypus duck, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Don't let him go running amok, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Altogether now!

Play your digeridoo, Blue,
play your digeridoo.
Keep playing 'til I shoot thro' Blue,
play your digerydoo.
Altogether now!

Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred,
tan me hide when I'm dead.
So we tanned his hide when he died Clyde,
(Spoken) And that's it hanging on the shed.
Altogether now!

Near Perth, WA, there is a meat processing plant which processes kangaroo carcasses. Several years ago a fellow wildlife carer was called to rescue a Red Kangaroo joey who was found near that plant. Because Red Kangaroo's do not live around the Perth area, it was assumed that the joey was in the pouch of his dead mum for goodness knows how many days - before he escaped when his mum was moved from the truck to the prosessing plant..Within 3o minutes of the joey getting to his human carer he died of stress myopathy - a death which is very painful and very distressing to witness. Who cannot be horrified by stories such at this??

Possum Magic "Who cannot be horrified by stories such at this"

ever seen a weak roo killed by a dingo?

or baby sheep dying with their eyes pecked out by crows or simply rejected by their mother?

S-hit happens.

the natural world is an uncaring place.

btw "sentimentality" is no basis of a decision, although it is often used by those who lack real reasons.

I think that all of you that eat kangaroo meat should choke on it.Besides being our national emblem they are living creatures that deserve a decent life. It is us humans who think that we have the right to kill and yet we destroy our environment without a thought to
any other living creature. Think again, I am a vegetarian and keep very healthy without eating any sort of meat which by the way is usually full of chemicals Isn't it tragic enough we cull these beautiful creatures without eating them as well

Michele
Oakleigh

Interesting polarization of views. My 2-cents worth:

1. It does taste pretty revolting, - an acquired taste (why bother?)

2. Known health risks from undercooked meat from wild animals with intestinal parastites. Again, why bother? Try puffer-fish instead.

3. Known health risks for dogs - greyhound trainers avoid it because of thiamine deficiency as a result. Why eat something not fit for dogs? Almost all roo meat is pet food. Why is that?

4. This leaves skins - which look better on the animal than in boots or testicle pouches for tourists.

5. How many dependent joeys die as a result of shot mothers? No-one even bothers to count them. Would this cruelty be tolerated in any other livestock industry? Surely compassion is not totally unknown among meat-eaters!

6. Farming, as suggested by 'examinator' just isn't possible with kangaroos. If he really was a 'wildlife rescuer' as claimed, he'd know this. If possible it would have been tried.

7. Do we really need to exploit every species and habitat on the planet? Can't we leave some safe from human greed?

8. This looks like another attempt by John Kelly to extend his small empire into Tasmania and Victoria. I don't trust empire-builders - they often have blood on their hands. Roo blood isn't a good look John.

A few points that John Kelly omitted from his article:

X amount of meat in the numbers needed to equal the production of the present consumption will create roughly X amount of damage no matter what the animal is. In equivalence there are many times more sheep and cattle than kangaroos and if the introduced creatures were removed by attrition or whatever, and somehow the kangaroo numbers increased to fill their place, the environmental benefits would be nil to negligible. As kangaroos are not now and cannot be farmed, the method to increase their number to this extent is an unknown.

Kangaroo numbers at present are kept at a sufficient level to shoot because the alpha males are the primary targets and without their control, younger males become rampant rapists. There is no evidence to suggest that the cessation of shooting would have kangaroo’s two metres deep all over Australia. Kangaroos only extend their capacity to survive in situations of limited area such as on islands, fenced army bases or where escape corridors are non-existent.

The shooting of kangaroos brings with it a wounding rate depending on the skill of the shooter and the flightiness of the animal. As the procedure to obtain a commercial shooting licence is dumbed-down and not reflective of actual shooting conditions, the wounding rate is high.

Others have mentioned the killing of in-pouch joeys, which is in the millions per year. The other factor is the at-foot-joey. They are dependent for milk from a special teat, on the protection from predators and have a long period of learning where to go and what to do to survive. The loss of the mother destroys all of that and the joey’s chance of living for more than a few days or weeks, in a terrified manner is near zero. Other kangaroos do not adopt orphans as a rule.

(Continued next post)

Johathon