Kangaroo newsletter Archives 12The 2005 National kangaroo population figures have finally been released to us by the Federal Government after many emails and phone calls. They don’t tell us much. Red kangaroos; 7,753,247 Grey Kangaroos; 10,876,498, Western Greys; 2,625,708, Wallaroo/Euro; 3,380,838. Total estimate of the four species is 24,636,291 What is noticeable is that they are now claiming the kangaroo figures are only estimates of numbers in the shooting areas, which is something very different. Formerly they would provide an estimate of total numbers in Australia. We interpret this change of heart (can’t really say heart, they haven’t got one) process to the fact that they have been caught out in their devious counting methodology, and are trying to imply there are many more kangas in Australia than there really are! To imply that kangaroo numbers are high is an outright lie from the Government. We know from discussions with sympathetic farmers and other rural residents, and our own observations, that kangaroo numbers are extremely low, Australia wide. * ********************************************
International demand for kangaroo meat is putting pressure on Australian processors. Despite high prices, harvesting quotas are not being met leaving a big gap in the market. Phil Franolick from King River International Processors in Perth says Europeans are attracted to the meat's low fat content and Russians are consuming large amounts of kangaroo sausages and mince. "As far as I know every skerrick of manufactured meat that is produced by human consumption processors virtually goes to the Russian market now," he said. "The demand is far higher than we can all meet." ABC 30/01/2006 ******************************************** California Attorney General Urges the State Supreme Court to Protect Kangaroos San Francisco- The California Attorney General, representing the State Department of Fish and Game, has filed a letter urging the California Supreme Court to grant a pending petition to review a recent court of appeal decision that threw out a lawsuit which sought to prevent sport manufacturing giant Adidas from using kangaroo skin in its athletic shoes. In May, 2003 Davis-based animal advocacy group Viva!USA filed a lawsuit against Adidas for violating California Penal Code section 653o, which prohibits importing into or selling within the State any kangaroo or parts or products of kangaroo. Adidas currently uses kangaroo skin in some of its soccer cleats, including the Adidas Predator, which Adidas sells in California. "Adidas does not dispute that it is blatantly violating California law; it wants the law to be disregarded," said Orly Degani, the attorney representing Viva!USA in the appeal. "We are optimistic the Supreme Court will tell Adidas that there is bite behind California's stated desire to protect kangaroo from cruel slaughter, and from being turned into shoes that can just as easily be made from synthetic materials." In addition to the Attorney General's letter, The Supreme Court received letters supporting the lawsuit against Adidas from Defenders of Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States. "Adidas has been getting away with murder in Australia and California," said Lauren Ornelas, US Campaigns Director of Viva!USA. "They have been showing the same disregard for California law that the hunters show the baby kangaroos whom they bludgeon to death." Each year, hunters are licensed to shoot millions of adult kangaroos for their meat and skins. Baby 'joeys' - worthless to the industry - are ripped from their dead mothers' pouches and bludgeoned, decapitated, or simply abandoned to die of starvation. Australia is currently in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record and bush fires are raging across the country decimating kangaroo numbers; yet the kangaroo industry continues to shoot millions more.
"Kangaroos are wildlife, not shoes. Adidas needs to get in step with the times and use synthetic materials for all their shoes," said Ornelas. Just this week, British newspapers reported that soccer great David Beckham is no longer using the Adidas kangaroo skinned soccer shoe the Predator. Instead, he will wear the Adidas Predator made of synthetic materials. Viva!, an international organization with USA Headquarters in Davis, CA and has a global campaign against Adidas' use of kangaroo skins. For further information on this campaign and to view pictures of kangaroo hunting, go to www.vivausa.org or www.savethekangaroo.com. VIVA! Media Release ******************************************** A south-west Queensland grazier says kangaroos are dying because of soaring heat and dry conditions. Yesterday, Thargomindah, Cunnamulla and Windorah topped the state with a maximum of 45 degrees. Thargomindah grazier Scott Fraser says this summer has been the worst he can remember, with temperatures consistently in the 40s. "The kangaroos here .... three weeks ago when the heat really started up, where it's dry you could see the roos dying under trees from the heat through the day and the animals basically you don't see them, I think they're on the waters by seven o'clock and they don't move out until late into the evening," he said. "Now with feed getting scarce it must be wearing thin with the animals as well because the nights are so hot as well." ABC 7th Feb ******************************************** A kangaroo export company wants Queensland's Primary Industries Minister Mr Mulherin to better enforce the regulations for the harvesting of kangaroos for human consumption. Mr Mulherin will officially open the United Game Processor's $8.5 million kangaroo export abattoir at Charleville this afternoon. United Game Processors' John Burey says shooters harvesting kangaroos for human consumption have to follow strict regulations and he will be asking Mr Mulherin to better enforce the rules. "Pet food operators are starting to leave the offal in, both legs long, a longer tail, so the carcase effectively looks exactly like a human consumption carcase," he said. "My concern is that if we haven't got an identifiable carcase, what's to stop perhaps someone having a truck load of pet food carcases and substituting them into a human consumption plant." ABC 28 Jan ******************************************** Becks Kicks Off Cruel Kangaroo Boots David Beckham has ditched his controversial kangaroo skin football boots for synthetic ones following a four year campaign by international animal group Viva!. The soccer star had been strongly criticised for encouraging the slaughter of wild kangaroos – the largest massacre of wildlife on the planet. Beckham’s new boots - Adidas Cardinal Red/Silver Absolutes, which he helped to design – are made from high-tec synthetic materials. Promoted as the “most accurate, lightest and most powerful” Predators ever, they will be on Beckham’s feet at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The rest of the +Predator Absolute range and much of the F50 range will continue to be made from kangaroo leather. Aussie football legend, Craig Johnston, designed the original Predator boot from synthetic materials and has voiced his opposition to the killing of kangaroos to make football boots. Adidas is now one of the world’s biggest customers for kangaroo leather. “We welcome the fact that Beckham has finally ditched his bloody kanga boots,” says Viva! campaigner Justin Kerswell. “If these synthetics are the best Predators ever, there can be no excuse for Adidas to carry on using the skins of dead kangaroos. If synthetics are good enough for one of the highest paid football players in the world, then they’re good enough for the rest of us!” Last year, the slaughter of 3.9 million adult kangaroos was authorised for meat and leather. Every year, tens of thousands of baby ‘joeys’ – useless by-products of the kangaroo industry – are dragged from their dead mothers’ pouches and killed by being stamped on, bludgeoned with iron pipes or decapitated. The Australian Government has so far refused to release its kill quota for 2006. “We hope this indicates that they are at last embarrassed by their cruel, wildlife for cash policy, encouraged by Adidas. We call on Adidas to drag itself into the 21st century and put animals and ecology before profit. Our message to the public is simple - don’t buy anything that comes from a kangaroo and don’t buy anything that comes from Adidas.” In the past, Viva! has provided Beckham with detailed information on the massacre, including shocking video footage. The group believes that Beckham’s change of heart follows major UK press attention last year following a crash in targeted kangaroo populations.
For further information contact Justin Kerswell, Juliet Gellatley or Tony Wardle on 0117 944 1000. *Media Release from VIVA! ******************************************** The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service believes a group of kangaroos found dead on a Michelago road have been illegally killed for pet food. The remains of several kangaroos were found on the outskirts of Queanbeyan late last year. Two weeks ago another dozen kangaroos were found on Tinderry Road at Michelago. Regional manager Steve Horsley says it appears the animals were shot and then butchered at the same location. "Investigations so far, we haven't had any success of tracking down who may have done it so we're really looking now to see whether local people may have some information," he said. "If they could let us know or even talk to the police. "We're really seeking some public assistance to make sure it doesn't happen again." *ABC 1/2/06 Ed. Comment; all the hypocrites at NSW NPWS are worried about here is that they missed out on some tag money, and the fact that someone left kangaroo body parts lying around for the public to see. ******************************************** From a French Newspaper: - An Australian wallaby, or small kangaroo, that had been on the hop in southwest France since escaping its owner three months ago is headed for the stewpot after being found dead. Bernadette Darchen, the retired French zoology professor who had been keeping the 70-centimetre (30-inch) high macropod on her property in the Dordogne region, said the fugitive animal was killed by a car. "You have to stay pragmatic. Rather than burying it, we're going to eat it. It's good meat," she said after recovering the corpse and cutting it up. "I'm going to make a sort of stew," she said. Darchen said she had searched everywhere for the wayward marsupial, even using hunting dogs to try and pick up its scent, though they turned out to be more interested in wild boar and deer. The 69-year-old retiree's surviving menagerie now counts another wallaby, a midget zebu (a species of ox from India), a donkey and parrots. – Agency France ********************************************
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