Victory for Cape Schanck kangaroos: Kill permit cancelled!

Kangaroos trapped behind fences on the Mornington Peninsula were at risk of being shot due to a government-sanctioned killing permit – now, thanks to the efforts of Animals Australia’s legal team and supporters, the existing kill permit has been cancelled.

The mob of kangaroos has lived on the Cape Schanck property for years, unable to escape the high fencing. Still, the Victorian Government issued the property owner an Authority to Control Wildlife permit – legal ‘permission’ to kill these supposedly ‘protected’ native Australian animals.

After months of tireless work pursuing all avenues including legal action initiated by Animals Australia’s legal team, the kill permit was cancelled on the eve of the litigation hearing in the Supreme Court.

For the trapped kangaroos and the local community who care so much about them, the legal team is continuing to ensure that action is taken by those responsible to safely move the kangaroos off the property.

The collective voice that represented these kangaroos was powerful. Fueled by thousands of compassionate Animals Australia supporters who spoke out against their plight, the message to decision-makers was clear – killing our native animals is unacceptable.

Victoria’s lethal permit system remains a very real threat to our wildlife

The dire situation this mob of kangaroos faced highlights the tragic reality of a system that fails Australia’s animals, ‘protected’ or otherwise.

While the decision to cancel the permit should be applauded, the safety of these kangaroos and other wildlife in Victoria is still a concern – and will remain a concern for as long as Victoria’s wildlife-killing permit system and the flawed processes that underwrite it exist.

At a time when Australia’s native animals are suffering from habitat loss caused by expanding farmland and urban development, they are also facing these drastic lethal ‘control’ methods when they wander across their homeland. This urgently needs to change.

Speak out for native animals

When thousands upon thousands of supposedly protected native animals, just like the kangaroos of Cape Schanck, can be shot due to a broken and outdated system, it is clear that current regulations are not sufficient to properly protect our wildlife.

For each individual animal, and the rich ecosystems which depend on their existence, please call on the Victorian Government to protect Australia’s animals and put an end to Authority to Control Wildlife permits.