Hop into action for kangaroos and their joeys this World Kangaroo Day.

Animals Australia is a proud sponsor of World Kangaroo Day, an initiative led by our friends at Kangaroos Alive who are working tirelessly to share the hidden story of these mistreated animals.

They are one of Australia’s most well-known and treasured species, but under the cover of darkness, kangaroos are the victims of a secretive and cruel slaughter. Despite grave concern from wildlife experts and the Australian public, five Australian states allow legislative wildlife ‘protections’ to be lifted, so that kangaroos can be shot under commercial licences, or by landowners with ‘management permits’.

As the killing of kangaroos often occurs in remote locations, effective monitoring of the shooting is impossible. Shockingly, the relevant laws in place specifically allow for cruelty like the decapitation and bludgeoning of joeys to death when their mothers have been killed.

While federal and state governments continue to greenlight the slaughter, thankfully, the tide is turning – major brands like Nike and New Balance have recently cut ties with the commercial kangaroo industry, and with your help, more will follow.

Here are five ways you can help kangaroos and their joeys today:

Send an email to Adidas, urging the sporting brand to stop participating in the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife in the world.

Take the pledge to never buy kangaroo skin or body parts. By refusing to purchase kangaroo meat or products that use kangaroo ‘leather’, you are voting with your consumer dollars for a future where these unique animals live free from unnecessary human harm.

Support our ongoing campaigns and legal efforts to secure a safer future for kangaroos and other native animals through our Wildlife Protection Fund.

If you are in Australia you can also ‘adopt’ a plush kangaroo from the Animals Australia Shop!

Stream Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story, or host a screening for friends or your local community to spread crucial awareness about the plight of these incredible animals.

Drive with caution, particularly in rural areas, to limit the chance of injuring kangaroos and other wildlife. Sadly, accidents can happen – be sure to report any injured wildlife to local wildlife rescue groups. You might also help joeys hidden in their mothers’ pouches, too!

Hopefully in the near future, World Kangaroo Day will solely be a day to celebrate these treasured animals, and calls to action to see them properly protected will no longer be needed. But until they are protected from being killed for profit, and their joeys are spared from being killed in unthinkable ways, they’ll need you to be their voice.

Thank you for taking action for them this World Kangaroo Day, and beyond.