"When
a shooter enters the structured society of a mob of kangaroos,
he destroys a complex system by killing the alpha male, his
immediate rivals, and the older females, who are the educators
of the mob. This selective hunting results in females mating
with young males and the loss of the inherited genetic strengths
of the mob" (Scott Cardamatis).
We
can live in harmony but the alpha male is critical for the
social fabric of the wild population. ( ' Today' 19 February,
1999)
John
Eveleigh, NPWS Officer at Broken Hill, recently retired after
watching over the commercial kangaroo killing industry for
25 years described the shooting bias toward large breeding
males as 'mirroring the effects of poor seasonal conditions'.
Defying
natural selection and acting to ensure the artificial process
of always taking (killing) the biggest and best out of a mob
is a threat to the future survival of the species because
even though there is an increase in populations, the animals
are not healthy, not fit, and the populations are unstable.
"Kangaroo
populations are in decline and have been for some years, but
the NSW State government is dependent on holding onto all
the rural seats in order to hold government. It is hardly
surprising that when it comes to "jobs in the bush"
versus wildlife preservation, kangaroos always come off second
best". (Source: Spring 1997 ENVIRONMENT Nature Conservation
Council Newsletter, Biodiversity)
Taking
the biggest and best Red kangaroos for the skin trade and
taking the young one to two year old Red kangaroos for the
human consumption meat trade puts insupportable pressure on
the Red kangaroo. An up to 80% male bias in the kill leaves
weaker, more unfit, unstable, unhealthy populations to breed
next years' crop.
Is
this good management? And what of the depletion of the gene
pool?
