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Canberra - A cull of hundreds of wild kangaroos from an Australian military base will go ahead following almost a year of debate after authorities on Friday ruled out a costly plan to move them.
The cull of up to 500 animals using tranquilliser darts followed by lethal injection would begin within two weeks, military spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said.
"There's an ecologist and two veterinarians (who) will be available to advise on animal welfare issues and supervise," Nikolic told reporters.
The eastern grey kangaroos, which feature on Australia's coat of arms, are living on a military communications base in the nation's capital Canberra. Authorities say the mob of 'roos is endangering a species of local lizard and the threatened gold sun moth through overgrazing.
The marsupials have been on death row since May last year when a planned cull was deferred after an outcry by animal protection groups.
An original plan to cull kangaroos on a second base in Canberra was abandoned after a long drought threatening the animals with mass starvation began to ease.
But the military says the situation at the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station is critical and the aim is to protect native grasslands and reduce the population to about one kangaroo per hectare. Under the plan, about 100 kangaroos would be left on the base.
The local Canberra government this week refused to grant export licences to move the animals to neighbouring New South Wales state using air-conditioned vans, which was judged to be too expensive and inhumane.
Nikolic said that left a cull as the only option. Wildlife groups have been at odds over whether it was more humane to cull the kangaroos or move them.
Wildlife Protection Association President Pat O'Brien said protests were planned to try to stop the cull. A plan to shoot the animals was abandoned after police warned stray bullets could ricochet and hit nearby residents or protesters.
"We can promise Canberra will see serious protest action. There is a lot of public anger over this decision," O'Brien said.
In 2004 there was an international outcry over the shooting of 900 kangaroos at a dam supplying water to Canberra and which were causing erosion problems through grazing.
Steve Garlick, a spokesman for the local Wildcare animal protection group, said relocating the kangaroos would not have been difficult.
"I think they would learn an awful lot before they start going for the default option of slaughtering these animals," he said.
- REUTERS
