Environmental groups are warning that millions of kangaroos in Australia could starve to death if the population explosion is not controlled, and they are proposing a mass cull of these marsupials as a preventative measure.
The breeding cycle of kangaroos represents a major environmental problem for Australia. Their numbers can reach into the tens of millions when there is sufficient food after an abundant rainy season. However, they can also die en masse when food is scarce, as happened during the last drought, when an estimated 80% to 90% of kangaroos died in some areas.
Kangaroos have shown adaptability by foraging in urban areas and causing disturbances, including entering public toilets and eating toilet paper. Some environmentalists suggest that culling kangaroos and using their meat and fur in industry could be a way to control their population and avoid unnecessary suffering in the event of food shortages.
Although the Australian government protects kangaroos, the most common species are not endangered and are allowed controlled hunting in most of the territory. Each year, up to five million kangaroos are killed for their meat and fur.
However, animal welfare organizations criticize the commercial slaughter of kangaroos and are pressuring major sports brands such as Nike and Puma to stop using kangaroo leather in their products. Some consider the practice “cruel slaughter.” Nike has announced its separation from its sole supplier of kangaroo leather and will stop making products with this material in 2023.
Campaigns against the kangaroo industry are seen as misleading by some kangaroo population management experts, who argue that doing nothing would be cruel and that letting kangaroos starve to death is unethical. They suggest that stopping the hunt will bring no benefits and will only make the situation worse.
The discussion centers on the need to find a balance between kangaroo population control and conservation of the species, taking into account both animal welfare and environmental consequences.