“The night-time massacre occurred in a remote location south of Colbinabbin in Central Victoria and is now the subject of an investigation by the state's Conservation Regulator. Many shot roos were left to die in paddocks, while others were found dead or dying by the roadside after being deliberately run over”. Ian Royall, Herald Sun 30 June 2024

So let’s start this story in November 2023:

“I write to you regarding Kangaroos which have been shot and left to suffer. In total five Kangaroos were found today, two with obvious gun-shot wounds, one of which was alive at first observation”.

And then in April 2024, to the south of Colbinabbin in Central Victoria. In the incident described here, a precursor of what was to follow at much greater scale, 16 Kangaroos were killed or injured and left to die.

Tania Begg, ecologist and wildlife carer, who was left to deal with the dying and wounded animals describes their injuries:

“The bodies show a mixture of fractures where vehicles have run over them, and bullet wounds where the animals had been shot”.

Tania goes on to describe her night of terror, she is not alone when it comes to human victims in Victoria whose lives are forever changed by these rarely prosecuted and violent and dangerous interactions.

“I was woken by the startling sound of very loud and continued rapid gunfire, and spotlights through my window just after 11pm. On a neighbouring property a vehicle was driving erratically through the paddock with a spotlight, shooting and running down Kangaroos. Shooting was occurring as the vehicle was in motion. It is absolutely terrifying that people are out there capable of this behaviour. Following this event, I have genuine fears for my safety. I do not just fear that a stray bullet could accidently hit myself or my partner, I fear these people will deliberately shoot on my property, at my residence, and at my partner and myself”.

What Tania describes next is typical of what happens when people ask for help. As many of you may know Andrea and I recently lost our beautiful, extensive and historic property (purchased in the 1970s) because of antisocial and violent behaviour, including threats, only made worse by speaking out and seeking help, we got precisely the opposite. Because we understand so well what happens we care so much about people that are put through the same living hell. We discovered we were not safe (and had no rights) just as many others in Victoria have done.

“I am scared, actually I am terrified of these people. But I know that only by witnessing, reporting, gathering information and speaking out, will these people be caught.

When previously complaining to Kyabram Police about illegal spotlighting and shooting in the area, we have been dismissed and told to 'go home'. I am not even safe in my home. Since this incident occurred, when I am at home, I have had disrupted sleep, heart palpitations and heightened sensitivity to sounds. I do not feel safe, and I fear the time these people come again.

This illegal shooting has occurred in our region before. It has occurred on this property before, involving Emus being illegally shot. This behaviour happens in remote areas with no witnesses, or people are too scared to say anything when they are witness to these events.

Illegal firearm activity, such as shooting from roads, trespassing with firearms, and shooting from moving vehicles is incredibly dangerous to the community. Often the target is our native wildlife, which is protected by law. This law needs to be enforced. This cruelty needs to be addressed”.

So we come to one Friday night in June. This time the scale of the killing was truly horrific. It should be noted that the event described below was one of two incidents around this time, the other 30 kilometres to the north.

Tania again:

“I write to you regarding yet another incident of the illegal killing of Kangaroos to the south of Colbinabbin in Central Victoria. Up to 100 Kangaroos were killed, with injuries including fractured legs, fractured arms and gun-shot wounds to the bodies and limbs. Seventy-two of these Kangaroos were assessed.

One adult female was left alive on the side of the road with shot-gun pellets embedded in her. Two live pouch joeys were rescued and brought into care. Three adult Kangaroos were left alive with catastrophic injuries and were euthanised. Three very small pinky-joeys were left alive in dead mothers’ pouches, these were not viable for rehabilitation and had to be euthanised. Two live at-foot joeys were observed, one will likely die without its mother, the other may survive but will struggle to do so.

It must be noted that the number of Kangaroos killed in this event is a large number to remove from a single population of Kangaroos in one night. It is also likely that several more Kangaroos were victim to this incident and not found or recorded. This event, coupled with the previous event I reported in April (which saw 16 Kangaroos from this population killed), and other events which may not have been observed, nor recorded must see the revocation of any Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) permits for the culling of Kangaroos within the region.

Here are some descriptions of injuries (this is just a selection but it describes the horrific cruelty that was inflicted during these terrible nights). We should remember the Kangaroos are both beautiful animals and very loving, gently so, in their family groups. The distress and suffering would be beyond our imaginings.

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“An adult female, recently dead on inspection, still warm. She had a fractured right arm. A pouch check revealed a pinky-joey, which was nonviable for hand-rearing, the joey was euthanised in situ. There were clear vehicle tracks over her body”.

“A male, very recently dead on inspection, still warm. When he was turned over, it was observed that he had a broken pelvis and two broken legs. His right leg was fractured at the knee joint, with his left leg fractured at the hip”.

“An adult female, very recently dead on inspection, still warm. She had multiple wounds in her upper left leg, and through the pouch. A pouch check revealed a fully furred joey, which was deceased”.

“An adult female, very recently dead on inspection, still warm. She had a fractured left leg and a fractured left arm. Both fractured had exposed bone. Her head had also been crushed. Several bullet holes were present in her rear end. Tyre tracks were apparent over her body. A pouch check revealed a small pinky-joey, which was nonviable for hand-rearing, the joey was euthanised in situ”.

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The list of these terrible injuries goes ever on.

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Tania says:

“The guys on the ground were great and they took it very seriously, the issue is the resourcing that allows them to do their jobs”.

“The Conservation Regulator was notified and attended the scene promptly to gather evidence. Given the ongoing nature of these events within the region, I expect that the resources are made available to adequately investigate this incident and prevent this from happening again. These people committing these atrocities are dangerous, and the severity of these incidents are escalating”.

So far, the latest incident has been taken seriously, even gaining ministerial attention with Steve Dimopoulos, the current Victorian Environment Minister, viewing the video of surviving animals, unable to stand, as they struggle and thrash around.

I will spare you from those distressing images.

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“Authorised officers have spoken with a landowner, who is not considered a person of interest. It is illegal to hunt, take, destroy, injure or interfere with wildlife in Victoria. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison or a fine of almost $10,000. Further penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine of close $100,000 can also apply under the state's animal cruelty laws”. ABC Central Victoria 11 July 2024

This is a letter sent to Tania on 10 July 2024 from the “acting conservation regulator’.

"Thank you for your email to Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Environment, regarding the recent kangaroo deaths. As this matter is in my area of responsibility, the Minister has asked that I respond on his behalf.

I note you have prepared a detailed report after you responded to the incident over 22-24 June, and I wish to thank you for your committed efforts in the wake of these distressing events.

The Conservation Regulator is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident, which resulted in the death of at least 65 kangaroos sometime around 21-22 June 2024. The Conservation Regulator takes incidents involving unlawful destruction of wildlife seriously, and often rely on the information provided by the public in reports like yours to assist our investigations.

In Victoria, all wildlife, including kangaroos, are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, and it is illegal to disturb, injure or kill them without authorisation. Offenders face maximum penalties of more than $9,600 or six-months imprisonment. Further penalties under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 are also likely to apply.

I have also taken note of your comments about authorisations to control wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975, several of which have been issued to landholders in the Gobarup area for lethal control of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. These authorisations are typically issued for a 12-month period so that the Conservation Regulator can regularly re-assess the basis for issuing them, including whether or not wildlife is continuing to damage the property.

Thank you again for your email, your detailed report, and your ongoing efforts as an active wildlife carer".

We will keep tracking what happens and update you when we can.

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What we have seen on Ramsar sites and other wetlands in Victoria in 2024, the capture of these places by a small group of mostly men with guns, assaults, banning orders and arrests, which exclude the non-shooting general public from these public places. What went on in Victoria’s waterways in 2024 is an indicator of what is to come at much greater scale. A number of government ‘initiatives’ converge in 2025, these include:

• The opening of all public lands in Victoria outside of Melbourne to commercial exploitation of wildlife, this will also bring back wetlands, including Ramsar sites, into the shooters control;
• A significant funding boost for Victoria’s Game Management Authority, which is meant to be an independent regulator, but is actively promoting hunting while prosecuting the people who care about Australian wildlife. There will no doubt be more staff to enforce the ‘rights’ of shooters; and
• New hunting regulations, among which, seek to exclude the general public from public lands in Victoria (before 11am) while shooting is occurring.

Poorly thought through hunting regulations which only serve to fulfill the shooters wish list, shooters will of course get everything they want, while what the general public wants, that is the vast majority, will be ignored.

Just one problem here among many, is that commercial exploiters of protected Australian wildlife in Victoria are not required to announce when and where they are going to shoot, currently surprising neighbours, and in the future tourists and other visitors to public lands. Tourists will and do react when they see wild, and supposedly, protected animals, being slaughtered around them, and some will react to the slaughter by confronting the shooters. Doing that will place them in grave danger. This scenario already applies to the slaughter of wildlife on private land as residents, the neighbours, respond to try to stop the killing.

We suspect that the purpose of the intended exclusion is precisely to ensure this does not happen. The problem then becomes a slaughter of wildlife in public spaces and places which is completely out of the gaze of the public and we know from long experience that the Victorian Government won’t be doing anything to control the carnage. We also know that before 11am will turn into all day long.

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