Dozens of kangaroos carcasses have been discovered in a Town in Australia over the course of two days, sparking fears a psychopath is at work.
Greatly adding to the concern, is the manner in which the kangaroos were killed – they were shot, decapitated and disembowelled.
Residents in Dunkeld, Victoria, claim to have found around 40 dead kangaroos over two nights on November 21 and December 3. The marsupials’ heads, tails, paws and entrails were left sprawled on the edge Grampians National Park, a popular tourist attraction.
Two months ago, Victoria’s government passed legislation allowing kangaroos to be killed for pet food, following a four-year pet food trial aimed at reducing the numbers of wild kangaroos. Farming groups rallied in support, claiming the kangaroo population needs to be controlled as they cause damage to fences and crops.
The injuries inflicted on these particular kangaroos violate regulations and dont appear to be the work of someone hunting within the confines of the law.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the kangaroos had not been killed properly, telling the Herald Sun, as per Daily Mail Australia, the ‘scene of kangaroo parts strewn across the landscape’ was ‘shocking’.
The resident continued:
“My first thought was that there was a psychopath on the loose, and we ought to be very careful.
The instinct to warn people of the danger kicked in. My second thought was to start looking for Ears For Days and Fringe Lily, two male kangaroos that have been visiting my garden for many years.”
The resident labelled the sanction as a cruel money-making scheme, and said it had made the area unsafe as armed hunters edge closer to homes.
‘It’s just so dangerous. There’s a school camp some 200 to 300 metres away,’
According to Animals Australia, around 40,000 to 60,000 kangaroos used to be killed annually, a figure that has trebled since Victoria introduced the Authority to Control Wildlife System (ATCWS).
The spokesperson for Australian Society for Kangaroos, Nikki Sutterby, estimated shooters earn about $10 in exchange for meat and $10 for the skin.
Some joeys survived the killings, but later died without their mothers. Hopefully the person responsible is found and brought to justice before any more kangaroos are unnecessarily killed.
SOURCE: UNILAD