After a truly terrible series of fires over the last three months, impacting some of Victoria’s most biodiverse places, killing many thousands of native Australian animals, accompanied by the Victorian Government’s immediate refusal to moderate its wildlife killing campaigns, including for recreation, commercial exploitation and ‘harms reduction’ following these terrible events, it is timely to revisit the status of the ‘Kangaroo’ family, Macropodidae, in Victoria. When it comes to mammals, Kangaroos and Wallabies head the list when it comes to the Victorian Government’s killing spree.

We should remember these two things:

• This years Victorian Government wildlife killing spree is likely to impact 1.2 million native animals and something approaching 100 native species in 2025; and
• During the most catastrophic fires in the summer of 2019-2020, the east of Victoria and the animals that lived there were seriously impacted, hundreds of thousands died, this year it is the west of the state that has suffered the most so far.

Nothing has moderated the killing and in just a few days it will be the turn of Australia’s birdlife as the mass shooting of waterbirds begins.

Washington, D.C.

“This week, U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn. and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.—two major champions of animal welfare in Congress—introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act, H.R. 1992, to end the sickening domestic trade and import of Kangaroo parts to the United States, mainly for use in the “uppers” in soccer cleats”. Wayne Pacelle, Center for a Humane Economy, 14 March 2025

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Status of Macropodidae species in Victoria since European settlement

Status of Kangaroo, Wallaby, Potoroo and Bettong species and their relatives in Victoria following the catastrophic bushfires in Victoria is 2020 and 2025. Even the fires and climate change have not stopped the ever growing number of animals being killed.

• Toolache Wallaby Macropus greyi EXTINCT
• Eastern Hare Wallaby Lagorchestes leporides EXTINCT
• Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea fraenata EXTINCT
• Rufous-bellied Pademelon Thylogale billardierii EXTINCT
• Rufous Rat-kangaroo or Rufous Bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens EXTINCT
• Eastern Bettong Bettongia gaimardi gaimardi EXTINCT The mainland subspecies was extinct by the 1920s due to predation by foxes, cats, habitat loss and degradation and persecution by land holders. Remains in Tasmania and re-introduced ACT.
• The Woylie or Brush-tailed Bettong Bettongia penicillata EXTINCT
• Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata - ENDANGERED – hunted to near extinction in Victoria, in 1908 alone 92,590 skins were marketed by a single company. LESS THAN 40 ANIMALS REMAIN in the wild in Victoria. Seriously impacted by the 2024-2025 Grampians fire
• Eastern Wallaroo Macropus robustus robustus ENDANGERED –extinct across 99 per cent of its former range in Eastern Victoria – remaining population impacted by wildfires
• Long-footed Potoroo Potorous longipes ENDANGERED –population in decline
• Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus THREATENED –population in decline
• Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus – when historical distribution records are compared the species is missing from almost 50 per cent of its former range, shot commercially since 2014. Population in steep decline - at significant risk from commercial exploitation
• Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus – former range fractured and fragmented, shot commercially since 2014 - population in steep decline despite claims that mass shooting, habitat loss (significant) and climate change have no impact on population number
• Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus – population seriously impacted by wildfires
• Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus – restricted in its declining range to far North West Victoria, the species used to occur in at least 50 per cent of Victoria. The species existence in Victoria is directly threatened by Victorian Government actions and has now been driven to the edge of EXTINCTION in the state. Removed from commercial industry list in the state
• Black Wallaby or Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor - population seriously impacted by wildfires

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