Kangaroo Population Boom Might Lead to Food Shortage, Experts Suggest Hunting Over Starvation —Australia

Australia's kangaroo population boom could cause a food shortage for wildlife; experts advise shooting down some to save the species from going extinct.

The island nation is home to millions of kangaroos. Although kangaroos are a beloved symbol in Australia, too many of them have been known to cause issues.

In Victoria, for example, the state government argues that the animals can harm crops, damage property and habitats, as well as pose a risk to human safety.

Starvation in Kangaroos Due to Population Boom

Officials have previously warned that an excessive population additionally presents a risk to the animal species themselves because an abundance of animals results in a lack of food, which causes many to starve to death. This is what happened in 2016 and 2017, when government estimates showed that there were approximately 45 million kangaroos - about two times the amount of the human population in the country, according to the BBC.

It was thought that the population explosion was brought on by a period of heavy rains, which helped the flora grow, but like many rainy seasons, it culminated with a drought.

Ecologist Katherine Moseby cited estimates that 80% or 90% of the kangaroos in some regions perished during the previous drought. They are starving to death - crawling into public restrooms and eating toilet paper, or even lying on the road famished while their joeys are attempting to feed.

60 Million Kangaroos

According to Dennis King, executive director of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, the country may soon see another situation similar to that since weather patterns in recent years have established favorable conditions for another boom.

According to King, the following two years would be ideal for kangaroo growth after three years of La Nina throughout the entire east coast. The breeding cycle picks up speed under these circumstances.

And if that occurs, he thinks the population may reach 60 million kangaroos, which would be more than 2.3 times the population of Australia.

According to Moseby, there is only one thing that individuals can do to assist stop the widespread starving of animals: shoot them, according to RTL Today.

Shooting Kangaroos

Fencing and fertility control have both been employed as kangaroo population control strategies, but the Victoria government claims they are less successful and less humane. Fertility control, the local government claims, requires catching the animals and compromising their welfare and is only effective for small-area population management. Animal welfare is also in danger with fencing, which is extremely expensive to construct and maintain.

According to the Victoria government, shooting is thought to be the most efficient and humane way to control the kangaroo population because the animals die swiftly and the population is drastically reduced. Additionally, shooting to maintain numbers is carried out per national regulations.

Kangaroo species are protected by the government, although the nation allows commercial harvesting to slaughter the animals in modest numbers and sell products globally. Six of the eight Australian states and territories with significant populations permit commercial harvesting, according to the King's Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, CBS reports.