Kangaroo slaughter for Bathurst 1000 puts car race before animal welfare

"The slaughter of 140 kangaroos and their joeys, estimated to be almost the entire population at Mount Panorama, for the sake of a motorcar race is a knee-jerk response that is not justified," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Bathurst City Council is using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

"The Council should have continued its practice of herding the kangaroos off the site before the event.

"Allowing the kangaroo slaughter for the sake of a car race is a dereliction of duty on the part of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Bathurst City Council.

"There are other more humane and ethical ways of managing the possible safety risks.

"Council could herd the kangaroos away before the race to provide safety for them and motorists. It could also work to create corridors for dispersal in future.

"This large scale culling exercise is at odds with the usual harvesting quotas of 15 percent of a kangaroo population and is not sustainable.

"Local consulting ecologist Ray Mjadwesch judges that a license to shoot 140 kangaroos would most likely wipe out the entire population at Mount Panorama.

"At this time of the year many kangaroos will have a joey at foot and one in the pouch.

"It is unclear if the Council has a Kangaroo Management Plan to deal with these infants when their mothers are killed.

"National Parks and Wildlife reportedly issued two licenses to Bathurst City Council to conduct the cull, the first for 60 kangaroos and the second for 80.

"In recent years kangaroos have mistakenly entered onto the track. In 2007 a number of cars swerved and missed a kangaroo during the race.

"The risk of a car crash needs to be managed, but that can be done with non-lethal control methods," Ms Rhiannon said.

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