AJP Tasmania hits out at West Tamar hunters after pademelon massacre

**WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT** Hunters who slaughtered 140 pademelons have become a target for animal rights activists after they posted their kills on social media.

ANIMAL rights activists have hit out against hunters standing in front of a horde of dead pademelons, which they say highlights the lack of animal protection laws in Tasmania.

The Animal Justice Party Tasmania shared a post from a group of West Tamar hunters on social media, standing in front of 140 dead pademelons.

The photo was posted on Facebook accompanied by the caption: “Good morning down the west Tamar. 140 on the ground.”

AJP Tasmania, who shared the post before it was removed, received hundreds of comments from distressed members of the community, shocked at the treatment of local wildlife.

It was removed by the hunting group after significant community outcry, AJP Tasmania say.

Recreational and commercial shooting of Pademelon and Bennetts wallabies, usually in conjunction with hunting dogs, is...

Posted by Animal Justice Party AJP Tasmania on Friday, 19 June 2020

“It is extremely distressing to know that hunters are intentionally targeting our native wildlife,” Animal Justice Party Tasmania convener Tim Westcott said.

“While the hunting groups may claim that they are controlling a pest, these animals are native to Tasmania and local residents do not consider the mass slaughter of native animals to be pest control.”

This comes as The Greens hit out at the slaughter of more than thousands of wallabies and pademelons which were killed by commercial hunters.

The figures were released by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment under Right to Information earlier this year and revealed that 185,599 Bennetts wallabies and Tasmanian pademelons were killed by holders of commercial hunters licences between 2015 and 2019.

The species, which are abundant in Tasmania, are partially protected, but can be a nuisance for farmers.

“This regular mass killing of native wildlife, which is condoned by the Tasmanian government, is deeply concerning,” Mr Westcott said.

“There is basically a twelve-month open season on pademelons and wallabies and the images and videos publicly posted by shooters are likely to be just the tip of a gruesome and distressing iceberg.”

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