A kangaroo found in Hesket with a large hole blown out of the side of his face by a bullet has highlighted the cruelty which can be caused by the permitted shooting of these animals in Victoria.
Earlier this month, local wildlife rescuers attended the injured kangaroo. He was hiding in a pump shed (pictured), his tongue hanging loosely from his open mouth and a large gaping hole in the side of his jaw.
He was thin, unable to eat or drink since he had been shot a week earlier.
“Not a kill shot but a bullet fired from a powerful weapon that blew a large hole in the side of his face,” Wildlife rescuer Debbie Gwyther-Jones said.
“The neighbouring property had hired a commercial shooter exactly one week before.
“This animal suffered immeasurably.”
The aftermath of permitted kangaroo shooting in Victoria is something that most wildlife rescuers and carers have to deal with.
Ms Gwyther-Jones said shooters often worked under the cover of darkness, using powerful spotlights to search for the animals.
“They claim to target large males, to avoid shooting females and to be so skilled they can identify the sex of the animal from a distance and kill without cruelty,” Ms Gwyther-Jones said.
Rescuers were able to end the suffering of the ‘roos found injured in Hesket but the stress these types of cases cause is ongoing.
Ms Gwyther-Jones said shooting leaves behind at-foot joeys who should still be with their mums and fractured mobs without their protectors.
“The state government is responsible for this cruelty but most of them will never witness it themselves. It is wildlife rescuers who do – in their own time, using their own money and with very little support,” Ms Gwyther-Jones said.
“We are sick of cleaning up the mess of irresponsible political decisions, and our region’s wildlife deserves so much better than representatives who ignore their plight.”
