3rd September 2015.

Australian government report exposing cruelty to baby kangaroos kept secret from Californian parliament.

The Australian government and the kangaroo industry (KIAA) appear to have deliberately kept secret a damning scientific report into the cruel treatment of baby kangaroo joeys orphaned by the kangaroo industry as they continue to lobby the Californian parliament to lift the ban on kangaroo products.

A scientific report commissioned by the Australian government titled Improving the humaneness of commercial kangaroo harvesting, was released last year with it’s findings exposing systemic, widespread cruelty and neglect of baby joeys killed and orphaned by the commercial kangaroo meat and skins industry.

“This government report found that commercial shooters for the meat and skins industry are regularly breaching animal welfare codes and inflicting horrific pain and suffering on orphaned baby joeys. The breaches include leaving older orphaned joeys to die after killing the mother, swinging joeys by their legs as they wriggle and call out, bashing them against rocks and utility racks, stomping on their heads and decapitating them without stunning, with shooters rarely checking the joey has died”, said Nikki Sutterby, President, Australian Society for Kangaroos.

The authors of the research report, scientists Trudy Sharp and Steve McLeod, concluded their report to the government by stating, “We would also emphasise that by not telling the public about the animal welfare impacts of commercial kangaroo harvesting should no longer be considered an option”.

“Yet despite the findings of their research and the request of the scientists, the Australian government and the kangaroo industry continues to mislead the Australian public and the Californian parliament about the humaneness of this industry and the suffering of orphaned baby joeys that continues today”, added Ms Sutterby,

with industry leader John Kelly quoted in a recent media report saying, ‘”look we know what were doing when it comes to kangaroo management and we do it responsibly and ethically”.

Please find attached our letter to the Californian parliament on this link.