Kangaroo Cull Begins in Australia

Authorities in Australia have begun a cull of kangaroos near a defense base.

Sickened animal lovers dashed to kangaroo grazing fields last night when they learned that marksmen had been given orders to begin a cull of the animals - despite earlier promises it would not happen.

Marksmen slipped under the fences of land owned by Australia's Defence Department near Canberra in a "search and destroy" campaign to fire tranquilliser darts at the 600 panic-stricken kangaroos which have lived there for decades.

The plan is to take whatever animals they hit with the darts to a "culling pen" where they will be humanely killed with a lethal injection.

Canberra Kangaroos May be Culled

Kangaroos in Canberra are facing an uncertain future.

A review was commissioned after the Department of Defence applied to relocate mobs of eastern grey kangaroos to New South Wales from Belconnen.

Earlier Defence plans to cull the kangaroos met with strong opposition from animal welfare groups.

ACT Commissioner for the Environment Maxine Cooper says she will not confirm the future of the native animals until her report is released.

"My report has had to deal with that very complex issue and that report's with the Government at the moment," she said.

"I do think it'd be appropriate for us to wait for the release of that report so people can actually get the totality of all the issues that I've had to deal with rather than just focusing up on this one particular issue of the eastern grey."

Photo by mfunnell.

Japanese Film Criticizes Aussies for Kangaroo Treatment

Now things are getting really ugly between these two countries. A Japanese film posted on YouTube is accusing Australia of all sorts of things, including mistreatment of its own native wildlife and racism towards Asians and Aborigines.

However, there is truth buried in the film about the treatment of kangaroos.

How best to humanely kill kangaroos and wallabies is a matter of intense debate. The latest code of conduct proposed by the federal government recommends blasting adults with a shotgun at close range.

The department of environment guide recommends "forcefully swinging" the heads of joeys, or young kangaroos, against a vehicle.

The government advises that dead female kangaroos must have their pouches examined for joeys "and if one is present it must also be killed."

"Decapitation with a sharp instrument in very small hairless young or a properly executed heavy blow to destroy the brain in larger young are effective means of causing sudden and painless death."

Photo by Zinnie.

Kangaroo Farts are Best for the Planet

The subject of animal farting as a factor in global warming is not usually for polite conversation. Who would have thought such a topic would actually be of scientific interest? What next? A new movie called "An Inconvenient Fart?"

But, to be serious, here's another win for those advocates of a kangaroo meat diet.

Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, researchers say.

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence contains no methane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas.

Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

"Not only would they not produce the methane, they would actually get something like 10 to 15 percent more energy out of the feed they are eating," said Klieve.

Even farmers who laugh at the idea of environmentally friendly kangaroo farts say that's nothing to joke about, particularly given the devastating drought Australia is suffering.

"In a tight year like a drought situation, 15 percent would be a considerable sum," said farmer Michael Mitton.

But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.

I don't know. I'd like to see where the research money for this work is coming from.

The kangaroo meat industry?

Photo by aaardvaark.