Instead, the department said it has asked the local government to
consider moving the animals -- which have been blamed for ruining the
habitat of rare lizards and insects -- to another site.
A report
released earlier this month recommended the immediate slaughter of the
animals to protect lowland native grasslands and threatened species,
and said relocating them would be inhumane.
Scientists say
eastern gray kangaroos are abundant and are destroying the native
grassland of threatened species like the grassland earless dragon and
the striped legless lizard.
But the plan triggered international protests by animal rights activists -- including celebrity rock stars Paul McCartney and Chrissie Hynde -- and split Australians over the merits of killing
their beloved national symbol to protect the creatures that share their
grassy habitat.
More than 60 species of kangaroo exist throughout Australia and while a few species are endangered, others have thrived on Outback
land that has been cultivated for grazing. They now exist in huge
groups, known as mobs.
Federal environment protection laws allow
wild kangaroos to be hunted, and they are killed by licensed hunters
under a quota system. The meat is used for human consumption and pet
food, and the pelts for soft toys and other items. |
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