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1336 kangaroos in this year’s cull target

“Canberrans can be reassured about the scientific rigour and high quality of the Kangaroo Management Program,” says the ACT’s Conservator of Flora and Fauna, Bren Burkevics. .

Seven nature reserves will be closed from June 9 until July 23 as the ACT government begins the annual kangaroo cull with 1336 animals in the cross-hairs this year.

The government says scientists and land managers with decades of experience in ecology, land management  and kangaroo management have calculated an “operational target” of 1,336 kangaroos to be removed across the seven priority reserves.

“Canberrans can be reassured about the scientific rigour and high quality of the Kangaroo Management Program following the release of the independent review of the program by wildlife ecologist Prof Sarah Legge,” said the ACT’s Conservator of Flora and Fauna, Bren Burkevics.

“Prof Legge has concluded that the Kangaroo Management Program is an outstanding exemplar of adaptive management and far-exceeds the animal welfare requirements of the National Code of Practice for non-commercial kangaroo shooting.

“Professor Legge’s conclusions mirror the assessment of the independent animal welfare assessment conducted in 2023 that confirmed the kangaroo management program complies with the national code of practice in all aspects and that current shooting protocols should be maintained.

“No time is being wasted to implement the valued recommendations of Professor Legge to further strengthen what is a high quality and necessary kangaroo management program. This includes increasing the involvement of ACT Government veterinarians in the program and updating our communication materials to provide even more clarity and transparency for the community.

“The use of the GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine has been a successful addition to the program and will continue for the third year in a row. We expect the fertility control program will over time reduce to the need for kangaroos to be humanely culled in the future.”

Mr Burkevics said the Kangaroo Management Program’s objective was to manage and protect the ACT’s threatened natural temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands from overgrazing by kangaroos. 

“The ACT’s natural temperate grasslands are some of the best quality in Australia but with about only 0.5 per cent remaining they must be protected and managed to ensure they continue to provide optimum habitat for endangered plants and animals,” he said.

“These grasslands and grassy woodlands provide habitat and protection to a wide range of plants and animals that are local to Canberra some of which are on the road to extinction if these ecosystems are overgrazed and become degraded.

“Pleasing results are emerging that the annual delivery of the Kangaroo Management Program is leading to grass heights and densities across the ACT’s parks and reserves that are closer to targets that provide optimum habitat for endangered plants and animals.”

The following reserves will be formally closed under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 from Sunday June 9 to Tuesday July 23 from 6pm to 6am from Sunday to Thursday each week and will remain open over the weekends from Friday morning to Sunday evening.

·        Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve

·        Gungaderra Grasslands

·        Mt Ainslie Nature Reserve

·        Mt Majura Nature Reserve

·        Mulanggari Grasslands

·        Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve

·        Red Hill Nature Reserve

 

 

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6 Responses to 1336 kangaroos in this year’s cull target

The Lament that echoes says: 15 May 2024 at 6:27 pm

Let it begin. The Kanberra Kangaroo Kollective has been working themselves into a lather with pleas written in capital letters and self congratulatory social media posts while avoiding engaging with the pastoral efforts needed for stewardship.

I note yet again that Percival Hill is again ignored despite the growing population and fresh planting of trees on the hill.

Reply
Alex says: 17 May 2024 at 10:31 pm

more and more evidence is coming to light that contradicts or questions the integrity of the government’s methodology.
The government funded independent review is the way the government is marking it’s own homework. Anyone worth their weight can see straight though.

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Julie Lindner says: 17 May 2024 at 12:33 pm

My favourite Reserve is far from being in good condition. It is overrun with invasive weeds that are left year after year to seed and spread. Invasive weeds are a far greater threat to the endangered flora and fauna than kangaroos and cause rapid biodiversity loss. As a plant enthusiast I have witnessed this over many years and particularly after 296 kangaroos were slaughtered in 2021. The long dead matted grass along with prolific weeds inhibit small delicate lilies, orchids and daisies from blooming. This Reserve was in much better condition with the kangaroos, far fewer weeds and much more wildlife even through the millennium drought years than the state it is in now.

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Nature Lover says: 17 May 2024 at 3:54 pm

Kangaroos are being needlessly shot in their habitat. Pouch joeys are yanked out of their dead mothers’ pouches and bashed over the heads with wooden mallets. Terrified at-foot joeys who manage to escape are likely to die of hypothermia, predation or starvation. And this exceeds the animal welfare code of conduct? Well done ACT Government, you must be so proud.

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Julie Lindner says: 17 May 2024 at 4:32 pm

Independent report, really? Professor Legge is embedded in the ANU and there has been close co-operation and employment opportunities between the ANU and the Department that runs the annual slaughter of kangaroos. On the same page, so to speak.

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crabbie says: 24 May 2024 at 9:02 am

The Kangaroo cull is slaughter. Justification by the reviews of three significant ACT Acts all being spearheaded by urgency cannot disguise the pushing out of unwanted kangaroos by every available method. Scrutiny is warranted and the ACT Gvt wants to force re-education on us (this is like war) to accept their methodology without question.

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