Kangaroo-archives17!The new Kangaroo Protection Coalition website is now live http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com (Instead of .org, it's now .com) The old page is temporarily down, but a link will lead from the old page to the new one. In a few weeks we will have some pretty important info on the new site, and we will let everyone know about it when it goes up. All the Kangamail archives are now on the new site, and we are constantly uploading kangaroo information as it comes to hand. If anyone would like their website linked the new page, please let us know. If you need information about caring for orphaned or injured kangaroos or other wildlife, go to www.ozark.wild.net.au Due to a server problem the Canberra Googong Dam website has been down for a few weeks, but is online again now * NKPC ************************************ URGENT FOR U.S. READERS ONLY! API is the only group distributing an alert for the kangaroos right now. PLEASE distribute widely. THE HEARING IS TUESDAY. California Residents: Speak Out for Kangaroos Please take action today to protect kangaroos from falling victim to commercial interests. If passed, AB 734 would remove the existing ban on the importation and sale of any part or product made of kangaroo. Existing law prohibits the importation or commercial trade in the bodies and body parts of certain animals. The list of animals includes kangaroos, tigers, polar bears, and other rare wild animals. However, AB 734 would require that, of the animals on this list, kangaroos be listed as endangered before receiving these protections under state law. In other words, it would require that certain species of kangaroos be driven to the brink of extinction before being afforded protection from commercial exploitation by fashion and sporting wear industries. This bill, AB 734, has been introduced in an attempt to eliminate longstanding protections for kangaroos. The commercial use and sale of wildlife often results in over-exploitation and abuse because financial incentive can override responsible management. For these reasons, California for many years has strongly restricted or prohibited the commercial use of its own native wildlife species. Likewise, we should continue to extend the same responsibility and consideration to the wildlife of other countries. What You Can Do Please do the following to help protect animals the kangaroos: 1. Please contact your state Senator and urge him/her to oppose AB 734. Letters, calls, faxes, and emails are requested. Talking points are listed below. If you do not know the name of your Senator, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. Enter your zip code and press "search" and you will be given the name and contact information of your Senator. Or you can call the Government Information Hotline at 916-322-9900 and give the operator your address - the operator will tell you the name of your Senator and you can leave your message for him/her through the operator. Please address letter(s) to: The Honorable [full name of Senator] California State Senate Sacramento, CA 95814 2. This bill will be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on June 20. If your Senator is a member of this committee (members listed below), it is even more important that you write/email/fax and urge him/her to oppose AB 734. NOTE: The committee will not be accepting public testimony; it will be a vote only as this committee heard this bill before. You can make the following points when you contact your Senator: *Please write/state that you are a constituent. *The existing law - which would be watered down by AB 734 - was enacted to protect certain "look-alike" species so that Californians do not unwittingly contribute to the extinction of a species. *California law and federal laws prohibit the sale of seal products from Canada because of the cruel killing, not because the seals are endangered. Why should it be different for kangaroos? *If the kangaroo is a mother and she has a baby in her pouch, the baby is taken out and killed by a heavy blow to the head. Killing the adults for their skins and killing the babies in the pouches is just asking for a decline in their populations. *Kangaroos are wild and are shot at night by hunters. Under those conditions, the hunters are not always able to distinguish between those kangaroos that are legally allowed to be killed and other kangaroos that are endangered. For example, in Queensland, Australia, the Western Grey Kangaroo is not allowed to be killed, but it can be mistaken for the Eastern Grey which is allowed to be hunted. *As the bill states, there are some kangaroos that already are endangered. Questions? Please contact Barb Schmitz at bschmitz@api4animals.org or call 916-447-3085 x208.
Members of Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water Senator Sheila Kuehl (Chair) 916-651-4023 916-324-4823 fax Senator Bob Margett (Vice-Chair) 916-651-4029 916-324-0922 fax Senator Samuel Aanestad 916-651-4004 Senator Christine Kehoe 916-651-4039 916-327-2188 fax Senator Alan Lowenthal 916-651-4027 916-327-9113 fax Senator Michael Machado 916-651-4005 916-323-2304 fax Senator Carole Migden 916-651-4003 916-445-4722 fax Campaigns Director Compassion Over Killing www.cok.net P.O. Box 9773 Washington, DC 20016 301.891.2458 301.891.6815 fax 530.848.4021 Cell ****************************
The NSW Kangaroo Management Plan 2001 to 2006 expires at the end of this year. The new Draft Plan is on the NSWNPWS website. Comments on the Plan have to be made by July 14th. NSW farmer groups have been lobbying to be allowed to shoot kangaroos for the skin only. The supporting documents associated with Plan make it clear that skin only shooting will not be allowed, but only because of the bad Press that's likely to accompany such a decision. The new Zone 16 around Canberra has not been closed. Originally they said they would give that area a four year trial, but obviously they had no intention of closing it once they got it open. The Plan is not much different to the previous Plan, but there are a couple of changes we have concerns about. The link is below for those that want to comment, I suppose there is possibility the NSW NPWS will listen to you. Under the EPBC Act they have to offer to consult, but there is no legislative requirement to listen or act on any comments made. Historically they ignore any comments that come from wildlife or animal welfare groups. http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/kmp_2007_2011_draft ********************* A motorcyclist broke his leg when he hit a kangaroo skipping along a suburban road. The accident happened on Mahoneys Rd, Fawkner, Victoria about 5.50am yesterday, when the kangaroo hit the rider as he rode past. The rider, in his 30s, continued on for 100m before stopping and another motorist waited with him until an ambulance came. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital. The kangaroo was badly injured and not expected to survive. Herald Sun ***************************** According to a recent survey done in the UK, Spike Milligan wrote the worlds funniest joke in 1951. Over the years the joke (below) has evolved slightly, but the punchline remains the same. Two kangaroo hunters are out in the bush in Australia, when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other hunter whips out his CDMA phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the kangaroo hunter says: "OK, now what?" * **************************** On Sat 27th May, around 50 demonstrators gathered at Council House Perth, about the killing of 450 or so kangaroos at Thompson's Lake in West Australia. Congratulations everyone! CALM have called in a commercial shooter to kill them, claiming there are too many kangaroos and they are damaging the vegetation. Also the lake has dried up considerably, and kangaroos are getting the blame. The local Council has approved many housing developments in the area, and they apparently have allowed residents to put down bores that have drained the Lake! There has been sporadic shooting at Thompson's Reserve during the last couple of weeks, with some locals getting inside the Reserve at night to try to see what was happening. If you haven't had an opportunity to send a protest email, it's not too late, and the addys are below. We haven't yet had a reply to our letters. Animal Welfare Office (jhood@dlgrd.wa.gov.au) for Local Government, The Exe. Director of CALM (keiranm@calm.wa.gov.au), Environment Minister (mark-mcgowan@dpc.wa.gov.au) and the Premier wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au *********************** Victoria's DSI at Horsham have issued a Permit to a couple of local farmers to kill kangaroos. They shot around 30 and the bodies were found by a local wildlife carer. These are part of the mob that escaped the Victorian fires a few months ago. With hardly any kangaroos left in that area, DSI allows farmers to continue to kill them? ****************************** We have heard of a complaint about a kangaroo attacking a horse, but noone we know of have ever heard of an attack before. Sometimes people claim that kangaroos have chased their horses into fences. What really happens is that as both horses and kangaroos are flight animals (and spooky) and if grazing in the same paddock, one or other can get a fright and the whole mob take off together (as they do). Of course the kangaroos either go under or over the fence, whereas a really spooky horse can go into the fence which it doesn't see because it's intent of keeping up and escaping. Another scenerio is the horse that isn't used to kangaroos and takes off when one enters it's paddock, which of course frightens the kangaroos who also take off with the same thing happening when they get to the fence. It can look as if the kangaroos are chasing the horse, whereas, in fact they are all just fleeing from a perceived danger. Most horses in kangaroo areas (not many such areas left!) who are quite used to kangaroos in their paddocks sometimes chase the kangaroos out. The young horses especially like to do this. When I had horses they were perfectly comfortable grazing with wallabies. *WPAA ****************************** Locals near Emance, France have chuckled about their kangaroo population for years. Escapees thirty years ago from a local wildlife park, the small kangaroos--wallabies, to be precise--have built up a 50-strong community in the Rambouillet Forest. Kangaroos end up in more far-flung places than you'd expect: a motorcyclist hit a kangaroo in the Netherlands a few years back, and in 2003 police fielded hundreds of strange calls when a circus escapee started hopping around the streets of Vienna. But back in Rambouillet Forest, the French and the little 'roos lived happily ever after; until insurance claims enter the picture. A concerned Sydney newspaper recently stated about Emance residents whose insurance claims were rejected by French insurance companies. Sensibly, the company thought a collision with a kangaroo was an unlikely occurrence a mere hour away from Paris. What's happening in the world? If we're not careful, there'll be grizzlies in the desert or deer swimming across the Pacific. It hardly seems like a fair trade for the French--they gave the Aussies the Syrah grape, and all they get in return is a marsupial? * jaunted.com ***************** Four people were injured, two of them seriously, when a kangaroo caused two motorcycles to pile up on the Great Western Highway at Hartley on Thursday night. All four victims of the smash are Lithgow residents. The motorcyclists, each with a pillion passenger, were on a section of the highway near the Healeys at Hartley store about 7.30 when they collided with a large kangaroo, causing both machines to crash heavily to the roadway. Three ambulances were rushed to the scene and conveyed the injured to Lithgow Hospital. The two riders underwent emergency treatment for extensive injuries; their pillion passengers had escaped with less serious injuries. Two medical helicopters later brought medical retrieval teams to Lithgow to assist. * Lithgow Mercury ****************** The federal Environment Minister has seen kangaroos dying during a visit to south-west Queensland, as drought conditions worsen. Stephen Tully from Agforce says Senator Ian Campbell visited a property near Quilpie during a brief visit yesterday and attended a public meeting in the town last night. Agforce is pushing for an increase in the commercial kangaroo quota and Mr Tully says Senator Campbell is committed to look at the issue. "He saw kangaroos out there dying and seemed to think not only was it cruel to let them die because of their numbers but it was also a complete waste of a resource," Mr Tully said. "He seemed to be very much in favour having a good sustainable kangaroo industry and really encouraging it along and could obviously see the problems with the quotas and he was willing to look at all of that." *ABC *************** The Queensland Government says any proposal to cull kangaroos starving to death because of drought will need to be carefully considered. Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell says he will be talking with state authorities about changing kangaroo harvesting quotas after a visit to south-western Queensland. He says kangaroos are dying from lack of feed and he would like to consider some emergency arrangement to increase quotas so they can be culled. "No Australian wants to see kangaroos dying of starvation, literally falling over and dying and having their eyes pecked out by crows," he said. Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says macropod harvest quotas are set according to well established scientific principles, so any proposal to change them will need careful consideration. * ABC ************************** 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 Rural ***************************** An aspiring Skippy's career appeared to be on the rocks after being attacked by a wolf last year. But then plastic surgeon of 25 years Theodore Corwin, better known for performing facelifts, tummy tucks, breast enhancements and other cosmetic procedures on humans, stepped in. The Los Angeles-based surgeon spent two hours operating on the four-year-old kangaroo, named Feznik, to reconstruct his lip and save his burgeoning career as an actor. "He was missing part of one side of the lip and it made him look ugly and his tooth was sticking out," Dr Corwin said today from the United States. Before the operation, Feznik's career was on the skids - there's not much work for ugly kangaroos in Hollywood. But three months down the track, things are looking up for the 1.3m marsupial who lives on a Californian farm for Hollywood animals used at corporate events, in movies and advertisements. "I've talked to the vet who takes care of these animals and he said all's well, he's healing well, eating fine and looks good," Dr Corwin said. "I don't know what's happening with his acting career. I should check on that." Dr Corwin said Feznik was fortunate to have fur to cover over his scars. But the operation, which involved about 25 stitches, still presented its challenges. "The biggest difference between humans and kangaroos is that the kangaroo has a natural cleft in the middle of the upper lip so the lip doesn't go straight across, it goes up into the nose," Dr Corwin said. "If I had been operating on a human we would have just pulled the lip straight across and sewn one side to the other but because we had this cleft in the middle, it made it more difficult to pull this thing across over the tooth, but we managed to do it." Dr Corwin performed the operation for no fee but he said similar surgery on a person would cost several thousand dollars. *Australian **************************** Wildlife officers are hunting for the callous killer of 10 kangaroos in Melbourne's outer north-east in the past nine months. All but one of the eastern grey kangaroos was found decapitated except for the latest incident, in which a kangaroo was discovered severed at the hips on May 2. Most were found at the Yarrambat Golf Club in Yarrambat. Others were found at nearby Doreen and Kangaroo Ground. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is investigating the latest spate of killings, which began in September last year. It follows the deaths of 15 kangaroos at the golf course, and at Research and Hurstbridge, in July and August last year. Autopsies revealed that the heads of some of the kangaroos were removed after the animals had died, DSE spokesman Glenn Sharp said today. The RSPCA, the Nillumbik Shire Council and police are assisting DSE, he said. He urged anyone with information to come forward. "One small piece of information from local residents or visitors to the area could be just what we need to determine what has caused some or all of these deaths," Mr Sharp said. Kangaroos are protected under the Victorian Wildlife Act (1975). The penalty for harming a kangaroo is a maximum $5,250 fine or six months' jail. Anyone who has information can phone DSE on 13 61 86. All calls will be taken in strict confidence. * AAP *************************** Authorities are mystified by the deaths of 26 kangaroos in Melbourne's northeast over the past 18 months. Many of the animals had been decapitated. A joint Victoria Police, Department of Sustainability and Environment and RSPCA investigation has come to a standstill. DSE senior wildlife officer Glenn Sharp said autopsies on the last 10 deaths, all at Yarrambat Golf Course, indicated dog or fox attacks. Mr Sharp said it was unclear whether the heads were cut off before or after the animals died. "They are not a clean cut," he said. "There are a lot of tear or canine bites and we can't tell if they may have been made by a pocket knife. "Whether it's a dog under command from a person we cannot say but if it is, it's obviously a large cruelty issue we need to address." The most recent death was on May 2 when an eastern grey kangaroo was found severed at the hips. Mr Sharp said if the attacks were by foxes there was little that could be done to protect the area's 300-strong kangaroo population. Australian Wildlife Protection Council president Maryland Wilson said it was appalling kangaroos were being slaughtered. "I think it's outrageous and disgraceful. It's happening right across Victoria," Ms Wilson said. Kangaroos are protected under the Victorian Wildlife Act (1975) with maximum penalties of $24,000 and/or two years in jail. "Obviously someone in the public knows what's going on and they need to come forward," Mr Sharp said. Anyone with information should contact the DSE on 136 186. Ed Comment; Kangaroo skulls are currently being sold on eBay. One skull fetched over $100 ********************************* The new Kangaroo Protection Coalition website is now live http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com (Instead of .org, it's .com) A link will lead from the old page to the new one. In a few weeks we will have some pretty important info on the new site, and we will let everyone know about it. All the Kangamail archives are now on the new site. **************************************
|
