Animal welfare supporters are being urged to help fund a “safe haven” fence following moves to allow a landholder to shoot kangaroos on property adjoining a Pastoria East rescue shelter.
Supporters of groups including the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network were up in arms after the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) approved the cull.
The network has issued an impassioned plea for people to donate money for an $8000 fence to keep animals out of the firing line.
The department, which found itself in hot water after a planned burn in the nearby Cobaw Ranges broke containment lines last October, maintains that the cull is justified.
It said non-lethal control methods had been unable to stop considerable damage to the farmer’s fences and pastures.
Pastoria East Wildlife Shelter operators Marcus Ward and Christine Litchfield, who late last month released the last kangaroo nursed back to health following the Cobaw blaze, vowed to do everything possible to stop the cull.
“The difficult thing is you never know when the sword of Damocles is going to fall,” Mr Ward said.
“We have a mob here we might see once a week or might see them a couple of days in a row, but in order to steer them clear of danger … it’s going to be hard.”
‘Heartless’
Ms Litchfield said it was possible that kangaroos which survived the Cobaw bushfire would be shot.
“That’s a fire that was lit by the department,” she said.
“You’d think they’d give the surviving kangaroos a bit of leeway.
“We have rehabilitated about five burnt kangaroos and released them here.
“It’s absolutely heartless.”
Mr Ward said thousands of dollars had been spent on the kangaroos’ rehabilitation.
A DELWP spokesman said the permit was issued because all non-lethal methods of control had been exhausted.
“Wildlife officers inspected the applicant’s property and found significant damage to pastures and fences due to kangaroos,” he said.
“DELWP officers have spoken to both the applicant and the owner of the adjacent wildlife shelter and have listened to their concerns.
“It is a critical time of year for the applicant to germinate his pasture and therefore the issuing of an [order] is time critical to ensure a successful growing season.”
