Animals Australia video is viral proof that people really are awesome

PEOPLE like to watch other people saving ducks. A cute video by Animals Australia has had tens of millions of views. And it’s all for a good cause.

THIS little video shouldn’t ruffle any feathers but at least the footage of people helping ducks shows we really do care.

So it’s no wonder the three minute video, People Being Awesome, posted and compiled by Animals Australia has gone viral with more than 1,410, 000 shares, and 64,186,372 views.

The video, which features a range of people rescuing ducks and opens on a man being held down a manhole to save a duckling, forms part of a new campaign by the animal rights group urging Victorian Labor to change their policy on duck shooting.

Animals Australia said other states including Western Australia, Queensland and NSW have already banned it so it was time Victoria did the same.

In a joint letter Animals Australia sent with the RSPCA, and signed by more than 50 other animal welfare and conservation groups, the groups have called on all Victorian Labor MPs and candidates to ban the “cruel sport”.

“Duck-shooting is a practice that causes unnecessary suffering to native wildlife and is also opposed by the vast majority of Victorians,” the letter reads.

“The ALP taking a decision that reflects the wishes of most Victorians, rather than a small and declining number of shooters, is not only appropriate but would elicit an overwhelmingly positive response from the Victorian community.”

Animals Australia said at the very least the ALP should commit to proper regulation of the industry by requiring all duck shooters to sit the Waterfowl Identification Test and also said shooters should be required to pass a compulsory Olympic standard accuracy test before being granted a shooting licence, as required of kangaroo hunters.

Lyn White, Campaign Director for Animals Australia, said Victorians overwhelmingly wanted the recreational shooting of native waterbirds banned and state Labor leaders should follow the lead of their counterparts in other states.

“Both major parties stand guilty of failing to take any steps to alleviate the suffering of native water birds,” Ms White said.

She added the response to the video had been overwhelming.

“The response to this small video has been extraordinary and reinforces that overwhelmingly people want our native waterbirds to be protected, not shot out of the sky in the name of ‘sport’,” she said.

“It provides such a powerful indication of what people are seeking and responding to when it comes to human behaviour — people are responding to empathy not apathy — and whichever political party finally recognises this will reap the rewards.”

The Victorian branch of Sporting Shooters Association of Australia said it respected the right of groups such Animals Australia to have a different opinion to their own.

But Acting CEO Jack Wegman said any such opinion should be based on facts, such as that shooters already supported the humane killing of the animals.

He said hunting wasn’t just about sport but about respecting the animals, the environment and the non-hunting community as well.

Mr Wegman said the organisation already practised humane killing and its shotgun education program worked to ensure this remained the case.

“We support the concept of upskilling to dispatch of the animals humanely,” he said.

“But the thing to remember this is a legal sport and recreation activity.”

Mr Wegmen said hunting would not take place if there were inadequate numbers of game life and that hunters actually harvested the animals for food, not just sport.

“We can’t sugar coat this,” hye said.

“These animals are killed and harvested for the table.”