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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra’s biggest kangaroo cull begins

kangaroos

MORE than 4000 Eastern Grey Kangaroos will be killed at more than 10 nature reserves in Canberra’s biggest cull. 

ACT Parks and Conservation Service director Daniel Iglesias says the cull this year will be the largest undertaken in the history of the program in terms of numbers and sites to be targeted.

The cull, which begins today (May 7) and continues until July 26, will see nature reserves close from late afternoon until early morning for the next two months.

Mr Iglesias says the cull protects biodiversity and maintains kangaroo populations at appropriate levels to minimise impacts on other plants and animals in critical grassland and woodland sites.

“While nobody likes culling kangaroos, it is currently the most humane method of population management available to the ACT government as a responsible land manager,” he says.

Mr Iglesias says the conservation cull will strictly adhere to the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Non-Commercial Purposes.

“Given the lack of rain, if we don’t cull the kangaroos humanely now, many will starve to death during winter and the quality of the habitat for other species that rely on the ground level vegetation will deteriorate,” he says.

“Our ecologists have used the best current scientific knowledge to analyse the status of each reserve’s population, the amount and type of vegetation, rainfall and other relevant factors to determine the numbers to be culled to support conservation outcomes.

“To help improve public safety and detect illegal activity, warning signs will be placed at all entry points to the reserves, surveillance cameras used and reserves patrolled by Parks and Conservation Service staff during culling operations.”

Fourteen sites will be closed to the public while culling operations take place. High public use reserves will have shortened closure times to lessen community disruption. This year all reserves will be open to the public from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon to allow unimpeded recreational access over the busy weekend periods.

Closed from 3pm to 9am on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are: Callum Brae Nature Reserve, Crace Nature Reserve, East Jerrabomberra Grasslands, West Jerrabomberra Grasslands, Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve, Gungaderra Nature Reserve, Kama Nature Reserve, Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, Mulanggari Grasslands and The Pinnacle Nature Reserve.

Closed from 6pm to 8am on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are: Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve, Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve, Mount Majura Nature Reserve and Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve.

Routine Kangaroo cull is wrapped in ‘lies’

Further information and more detailed closure times are available at environment.act.gov.au

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