’Cruelty on a massive scale’: Parks Victoria accused of huge roo slaughter

Parks Victoria has been accused of turning the state’s national parks into “killing fields” by slaughtering hundreds of thousands of kangaroos and joeys as part of its conservation management.

Parks Victoria has been accused of secretly slaughtering hundreds of thousands of kangaroos and joeys in the state’s national parks as part of its conservation management.

A leading wildlife group called for Parks Victoria to be investigated for “animal cruelty on a massive scale’’, and for putting the public at risk.

A damning new report from the The Australian Society for Kangaroos claimed that since 2000, Parks Victoria shot more than 100,000 kangaroos and 30,000 joeys in three parks in western and northwest Victoria.

The kill tally for the Murray-Sunset, Wyperfeld and Hattah-Kulkyne parks included 50,000 kangaroos and their joeys since 2016.

The society said that Parks Victoria’s own veterinary reports revealed that the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies had been routinely breached.

Society president Nikki Sutterby said: “We are told national parks are wildlife sanctuaries, but Parks Victoria has turned them into killing fields, where native animals are routinely butchered and campers put at risk during their dangerous annual shooting operations.’’

A leading wildlife group called for Parks Victoria to be investigated for ‘animal cruelty on a massive scale’. Picture: Getty Images

The organisation has submitted a formal complaint to Parks Victoria and has referred the matter to the RSPCA, the state’s Conservation Regulator and Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos.

“We are demanding the immediate suspension of Parks Victoria’s annual kangaroo management operations in our public parks,’’ Ms Sutterby said.

The internal documents, obtained through Freedom of Information processes, revealed that hunters:

• Shot up to five roos at a time before checking each one was dead;

• Failedto deliver brain shots, leaving animals to die in pain;

• Failedto stun orphaned pouch young before decapitation;

• Shot pregnant or lactating females with pouch joeys or joeys at foot, and also did not humanely kill at-foot joeys before killing the mother.

The documents also revealed that the public was being put at risk – with reports of people being in the parks while shooting was occurring.

The society also raised concerns about the high targets set for red kangaroos which were fewer in number.

Parks Victoria’s live kill tally of kangaroos in the state's west

Ms Sutterby said kangaroos were being blamed for vegetation degradation, but the impact of non-native rabbits, goats and grazing animals was not widely considered.

Parks Victoria said that its programs protected more than 2300 species of native plants and animals including the Mallee Emu Wren, Malleefowl and Pink Cockatoo. And that when kangaroo numbers were too high, many species suffered from the impact of overgrazing.

“There are strict conditions for the program to ensure safe, effective, and humane practices are implemented, assessed by an independent expert vet to make sure the highest standards are met,’’ a spokesperson said.

Kangaroos in the Murray-Sunset National Park.

“Areas of national parks are closed during the shooting operations to ensure visitor safety, and this information is communicated to the public.”

The recent fires in the Grampians district prompted calls from wildlife advocates to suspend the annual roo cull.

The 2025 quota is for 106,750 roos to be killed.

The latest allegations come as Parks Victoria is the subject of a “comprehensive” review of its operations.

Mr Dimopoulos ordered the review last November when CEO Matthew Jackson ended his tenure.

“It’s clear that Parks Victoria’s current operations need to be improved to meet community expectations,’’ Mr Dimopoulos said at the time.

The review is due to be completed in March.

Parks Victoria also copped criticism over its management of the free camping initiative across the state this summer.