Bush Heritage exposed

Bush Heritage lost their battle to suppress the release of highly sensitive government documents that expose a five year history of slaughtering kangaroos at their ‘sanctuaries’ in NSW. The Australian Society for Kangaroos finally obtained access to the secret documents after Bush Heritage lost their court battle to suppress their release in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The documents they wanted to keep secret reveal that Bush Heritage has been killing kangaroos since 2013 at their Scottsdale property in NSW and planned to kill another 500 kangaroos in 2016, but suspended the kill after a public backlash when their controversial plans were released to the media by ASK. Their secret plans for the 2016 kill was exposed and went public after an employee tipped off the Australian Society for Kangaroos just days before shooting commenced. As a result Bush Heritage received considerable negative publicity with many donors and supporters immediately withdrawing their donations, bequeaths and support.

The documents they desperately fought to keep secret reveal Bush Heritage shot and killed 700 kangaroos and their joeys between 2013 and 2015 after which they planned to kill another 500 in 2016. The documents also revealed plans to target twice as many females in 2016 in an effort to “curtail their breeding and reduce the need to cull next year.” So in 2016 they planned to kill 330 females which would have resulted in the cruel death and orphaning of at least the same number of orphaned pouch and at foot young. The documents also revealed that over a six year period Bush Heritage deliberately closed off water points in an effort to reduce the number of kangaroos at their Scottsdale property.

Their loss in court and the release of the documents to Australian Society for Kangaroos also prompted Bush Heritage to confess their plan to kill another 1000 kangaroos in 2018 and 2019 through the media. To deliberately target pregnant females and deliberately close off water to wildlife is cruel and immoral, particularly when they promote themselves as devoted to the conservation of Australia’s native wildlife.

The documents also confirmed Bush Heritage’s concern for public exposure and their efforts to keep their controversial practices a secret with their Scottsdale Management Plan highlighting the need to “achieve the highest certainty of an appropriate cull with minimal risk of public exposure”. Bush Heritage has carried out an unfounded, unscientific, and cruel practice where they have deliberately targeted pregnant females and their young, and in an effort to deceive the public and protect their donations, they have deliberately kept this a secret.

You can view media reports about this at the links below:

• Sydney Morning Herald – Bush Heritage Australia faces backlash after kangaroo culling claims – July 2016

• District Bulletin – Bush Heritage Wildlife Kill Exposed – March 2108

• District Bulletin – Bush Heritage Charged Misleading Donors Kangaroo Cull – February 2018

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