Melbourne:
Australia’s plan to kill kangaroos to bring down their population has strongly been condemned by nature lovers who believe that instead of culling them a humane method should be adopted. Animal lovers suggest that Kangaroos should be put on fertility drugs, which will prevent them from breeding. The drug that costs just 15 Australian dollars will prevent kangaroos from conceiving for the next five years.
Director of Parks and Conservation Daniel Iglesias said that the efficiency of these drugs is being tested. If it is successful, it will an effective way of curbing the increasing population of grey kangaroos.
In a bid to reduce the over population of kangaroos in Australia, the country had decided to kill more than 1900 Kangaroos starting from Monday. Seeing the higher growth in number of the animal, the concerned authorities decided to take the step, fearing it can have a 'devastating impact on the local environment', an official had said.
The announcement was made as part of its annual measure to control the population of Kangaroos.According to Daniel Iglesias, Director of Parks and Conservation with the ACT government, it had become necessary to control the population of eastern grey kangaroos in the ACT.
“We know for a fact that over-abundant numbers of eastern grey kangaroos can have a devastating impact on the local environment,” he said.
“We know that it can lead to de-vegetation and the complete degradation of certain areas if we let it go too long. This is not about eradication, this is about sustainable numbers of eastern grey kangaroos,” Iglesias added.
In order to test the effectiveness of fertility drugs as an alternative method of controlling kangaroo populations is currently under trial. The culling of Kangaroos is likely to conclude by August 1. As part of the ACT’s annual cull, almost 4000 kangaroos have been killed over the past two years.
