(Au) West Australian kangaroo cruelty appalls RSPCA

[Guest guest]

Perth

Western Australia

Sunday Times ,

29-09-2002 ,

Pg: 039 ,

Shoot to cull

 

The kangaroo is Australia's national emblem, yet every year thousands die in

agony, says the RSPCA.

 

Christine Jackman and Fiona Adolph report KANGAROOS scream when they're in

pain. RSPCA national president Hugh Wirth says Australians who grew up with

the gently " tck-tck-tck " of Skippy the Bush

Kangaroo [TV series] may find that surprising if not disturbing.

 

" About 240,000 of the estimated two million kangaroos shot in Australia this

year were

killed in WA [Western Australia] and as many as half of those animals were

carrying joeys

[baby kngaroos carried in the pouch of the mother kangaroo] according to the

RSPCA. "

 

" Unlike their eastern states peers, shooters in WA have a recreational

shooting season

and do not have to undergo marksmanship training. "

 

The Sunday Times article quotes Dr Hugh Wirth, National president of the

RSPCA saying

" The cruelty out there is just indescribable. The setting of dogs onto

kangaroos, the torture,

cutting ears off while they're still alive , cutting their throats,doing all

sorts of sexual things

to animals in captivity. "

 

" People not used to guns but chasing kangaroos around a paddock with a truck

with a

bull bar, hitting them, then backing over them back and forth, back and

forth. "

 

According to the article, Dr Wirth is calling for " macropod harvesting "

courses to be made

compulsory in WA as they are in other States.

 

Shooter training improves the plight if the animals culled because they are

shot more efficiently

and die more quicky he says.

 

You can buy the whole of this article from the Sunday Times on line. You

need a credit card.

The article is about 990 words and has quotes from the WA Sporting Shooters

Association

of Australia who supports the " controlled cull " condoned by CALM (WA

department of Conservation

and Land Management).

 

The URL to buy the article is at http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au

Search news text and type in " recreational shooting " after having picked

Western Australia and the Sunday Times.

 

Regards,

 

Marguerite