“Outside the reserve the legislation only grants the animal partial protection, the open season being from April the 1st to September the 30th. The lack of total protection is much to be regretted.

During the open season the Kangaroo is killed freely. In 1922 two men slaughtered 600 on a rather limited holding and during the present season, 300 more were killed at the same place. These animals are skinned for the leather trade.

Although its tenure of existence appears assured within the sanctuary of Flinders Chase, the indiscriminate slaughter of this fine animal on other parts of the island is much to be deplored. It is hoped that a full measure of protection will one day be accorded to the species throughout the whole of its island home.

The history of this species is a curious one, Flinders gives a good account of it as he saw it on March 22nd, 1802, and Péron, who visited Kangaroo Island between December 27, 1802, and February the 1st, 1803, adds many details of interest concerning it. Péron took specimens to Paris, and in1817 Desmarest describe these specimens and named the animal fuliginosus. Gould, in 1863 expressed his doubts that the animal was still living on Kangaroo Island and in 1871, Krefft stated that it was no longer to be found there.

It seems that there can be little room to doubt that the big Kangaroo of Kangaroo island is the original type of M. fuliginosus, and the same animal that was so graphically described by the early navigators. It is an animal that South Australians should be proud of and do all in their power to protect and keep in perpetuity in its island sanctuary.”

From Mammals of South Australia, parts I-III, 1923-1925, South Australian Museum.

We should remind ourselves that in South Australia since colonial settlement, at the very minimum, 73 species of plants and animals have become extinct. In addition to this, many recently extinct forms of life will not have been described and therefore will never be known, except that is, by the Indigenous people who lived in South Australia over countless generations.Today, the list of endangered and threatened species in South Australia contains more than 1,000 species.” Peter Hylands

Following devastating fires, the 2021 South AustralianGovernment population density estimate for the Sooty Kangaroo on KangarooIsland was 9.5 per km2 or 41,781 Kangaroos, very similar to the 2020 population estimate of 9.9 per km2 or 43,540 Kangaroos. The South Australian Government states that it set a conservative quota of 10 per cent of the population estimate to be exploited for commercial purposes. This followed the devastation on the island from the 2019/2020 bushfires.

Extension of commercial shooting zones and the adding of new species to the commercial list, while leaving the door open to add yet more species, are clear indicators that what is occurring is a very long way from sustainable. When it comes to Kangaroos, South Australia has mastered the art of spin. It is a very sad State indeed.

The commercial exploitation of Kangaroos now occurs across shooting zones which now cover the entire State of South Australia, with the exception of the Alinytjara Wiluṟara region (for cultural reasons) and Metropolitan Adelaide.

The recent expansion of shooting zones has created this structure; Hills and Fleurieu (excluding metropolitan Adelaide), Kangaroo Island, Lower South East and Upper South East; and extensions to the existing Murray Mallee and Mid North sub-regions to include Murray Plains, and Yorke Peninsula and Lower North respectively.

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As well as expanding the places where Kangaroos can be exploited for commercial gain, more Kangaroo species were added to the commercial list which now includes these species / sub- species:

• Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus;
• Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus, including the Kangaroo Island subspecies Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus and the mainland subspecies Macropus fuliginosus melanops;

• Euro Macropus robustus;
• Tammar Wallaby, Macropus eugenii, Kangaroo Island;
• Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus; and
• other species as per relevant legislative amendment subsequent to the commencement of this plan.

Kangaroos have very few places of safety in South Australia, the abhorrent cruelty aside, Kangaroos are being exterminated by over exploitation for commercial gain and other ‘control’ measures.

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