MORE than 1000 kangaroos have been culled in Canberra Nature Park since May 22, as part of the ACT Government’s ongoing plan to protect grass and woodland sites from over grazing. This was about 800 less than expected because of bad weather conditions.

Wet and windy weather stopped the cull on some nights, making it “unsafe” to cull an expected 2015 eastern grey kangaroos. All parks that were closed during the controversial kangaroo cull will re-open from 6pm tonight.

Parks and Conservation director Daniel Iglesias said a total of 1154 kangaroos were culled in accordance with the Kangaroo Management Plan, which sets out the ACT Government’s approach to managing the environmental, economic and social impacts of kangaroos to ensure their numbers are maintained at a sustainable level into the future.

“Ensuring the grasslands and woodlands have sustainable levels of kangaroos will protect threatened ecosystems and associated species, provide habitat for creatures such as ground-feeding birds and prevent excessive soil loss from over-grazing,” he said.

“The cull was undertaken humanely in accordance with a strict code of practice that has the endorsement of all relevant authorities including the RSPCA.

“An independent vet was also employed to randomly audit the cull to ensure it was undertaken appropriately.

“The wet and windy conditions meant that several nights of the culling operation had to be cancelled for safety reasons and to protect the reserves from vehicle damage.

“While a fewer number of kangaroos were culled than initially planned, the cull will help protect biodiversity and reduce grazing pressure on our nature reserves.”

Callum Brae Nature Reserve, Crace Nature Reserve, Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve, Jerrabomberra West Nature Reserve, Kama Nature Reserve, Mt Painter Nature Reserve, Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, The Pinnacle Nature Reserve and Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve will re-open at 6pm tonight.