Eat it, wear it, but don’t kill it, seems to be the lesson learned from Canberra’s Kangaroo Cull experiment. Australians and the world, raised a figurative eyebrow last month when ACT chief minister John Stanhope elected to put around 400 kangaroos “to sleep” rather than relocate the community of marsupials. 

The Problem:

ACT and Federal governments portrayed the cull as necessary to protect the endangered native grassland, where the kangaroos had become rampant.

Scientists pointed out that eastern grey kangaroos were abundant in the area and destroying the native grassland habitat of threatened species such as the grassland earless dragon lizard, striped legless lizard, golden sun moth and perunga grasshopper.

Environmentalists wanted the Kangaroos to be relocated rather than killed. 

The Solution:

The Australian Defence Force, which owns the 116-hectare site, was charged with the job of culling 400 kangaroos by lethal injection.

Activists picketed the site and, on occasion, broke the perimeter to disturb the process.

The Fallout:

ACT police arrested a 53-year-old woman accused of throwing rocks at security staff.

A coalition of Aboriginal activists attempted to stall the killing with a Native Title claim to the Defence Force land.

Japan is claiming hypocrisy over the cull. Broadcaster Hiroki Iijima said "It's a sad thing. Kangaroos are Australia's national icon, and 400 kangaroos are going to be killed by the Government”.

514 eastern grey kangaroos were killed. 

Interesting:

Last year the state governments of Australia issued permits to cull some 3.7 million kangaroos, about 15 per cent of the total population of the four species licensed for commercial exploitation.

The Belconnen site, owned by the Defence Force, that has such rare native grass is due for sale - slated for a luxury housing development.