Author: AWPC

Tracy Dods at her property with a friend Share this page Volunteer wildlife care in the spotlight: Inside the Tracy Dods case When a volunteer wildlife carer faces prosecution, the issue isn’t just about one animal.  This case raises big questions that concern all people who love Australian wildlife. Across each State, taxpayer-funded public institutions and most animal charities do not rescue, rehabilitate and release injured wildlife.  The job has fallen to caring citizens, sometimes financially supported by other members of a community via donations. Tracy Dods has spent years rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, often under extreme conditions. She volunteered on the frontlines during the catastrophic 2020 bushfires. Known for her dedication, honesty, and compassion, Tracy has rescued over 400 kangaroos and wallabies and paid for facilities at her home west of the Blue Mountains to rehabilitate them. Yet she is now at the centre of a criminal prosecution over her care of a kangaroo named Dolores — a case that could redefine how wildlife care is judged in Australia. Narrow legal question about ‘reasonable’ as dedicated carer convicted of ‘cruelty’ In this landmark case, Dods v R (RSPCA), Tracy’s integrity is not in dispute. The case revolves around a legal question that is narrow but profound in its possible impacts: Was it reasonable for Tracy to believe that Dolores did not require veterinary treatment from 20 February to 8 March 2021 given the information available, her training, and the circumstances at the time? The initial court case was brought by the RSPCA (which does not rehabilitate wildlife itself) on referral from WIRES after the two organisations raided Tracy’s property. The prosecution arguing that Dolores required veterinary treatment during this three-week period— care they say only a registered veterinarian can provide — and alleging that Tracy should have known this. The case was framed as a failure to act — not through malice, but through allegedly unreasonable judgment. The case has been under appeal after Tracy was convicted of aggravated cruelty. An appeal judgment is due in March. Dolores The RSPCA case relied upon post-mortem X-rays said to reveal a fracture – not noted by two veterinarians who early on saw Dolores – plus video footage interpreted as deterioration, as well as veterinary-led testimony that euthanasia was necessary. The case also invokes the principle that wildlife carers are held to a high standard of care. Much of the prosecution’s evidence rested on the opinion of a veterinarian, brought in by WIRES. His testimony displayed no experience with the rescue and rehabilitation of injured kangaroos, according to court observers who had much experience treating injured macropods: a lengthy task involving medication, vet visits and rest amidst the animals’ stress response when handled The defence for Tracy has consistently argued that Tracy’s conduct must be assessed based on what she knew at the time, not through the lens of hindsight. When Tracy first took on Dolores’ care, she was told the kangaroo had been seen by a vet, X-rays were clear and the injuries were consistent with those of a kangaroo caught in a fence referred to as ‘fence-hanger’: open wounds and tendon damage. The primary concerns were infection control and restoring mobility. In 2019, Tracy completed the fence-hanger course’ presented by private wildlife rescue and treatment facility Possumwood Wildlife Recovery and Research in southern NSW. Based on years of experience rescuing fence-hangers, Possumwood teaches that recovery from such injuries can be slow and highly variable. The training explains that muscle wastage is common, symptoms can worsen before improving, and euthanasia is a last resort rather than a default response. From Tracy’s perspective, Dolores’ progress aligned with that training. If you would like to learn more about treatment and rehabilitation of kangaroos rescued from fence entanglement (with the poor victims sometimes hanging upside down for a lengthy period) try for this document: Macropod Fence Injuries 2023 Advanced Mac Course PDF  via the Possumwood website www.possumwood.com.au; Also see https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=832279666014066 When swelling developed during recovery, Tracy sought further veterinary advice. With treatment, the swelling subsided. Her court defence pointed to this as evidence that Tracy sought veterinary care when she believed it was necessary – all while operating under COVID restrictions (something not mentioned in the court case). Property raid: Dolores seized and euthanised. Appeal Judge has some issues Until the RSPCA raid, Tracy was a volunteer with WIRES. She dedicated her time to attending rescues at all times of the day and night, and caring for kangaroos at her home at considerable personal expense because, she said, she feels a deep desire to help wildlife. A contentious element of the case was a Zoom call organised by WIRES. Tracy believed this was a routine three-monthly welfare check. She says she was given no warning that her care was under scrutiny and no concerns were raised before, during or after the call. Yet a recording of this meeting later became central to the RSPCA court case. Three people attended the call besides Tracy: a WIRES staff member, a board member and the veterinarian who later testified and was attending the Zoom call at WIRES’ request. No urgent instruction was given to seek immediate veterinary intervention for Dolores. Days later, Tracy was referred to the RSPCA.  On 8 March 2021, the RSPCA – accompanied by WIRES – raided Tracy’s property. Dolores was seized and euthanised. The appeal judge has since highlighted the systemic pressures that complicate the case and noted a major and troubling inconsistency: fractures missed by registered veterinarians are often deemed understandable, yet the same oversight by a wildlife carer may attract criminal charges. The judge also questioned WIRES’ role, asking whether the Zoom call framed as supportive may have reinforced Tracy’s belief she was acting appropriately. The absence of key witnesses — including the original vet who took the X-rays, Tracy’s WIRES macropod coordinator and WIRES senior management — further complicated the court’s task and raised questions about where responsibility truly lies. What does the case mean for carers and

A cockatoo can perform many dance moves. (Image supplied to ABC: Irena Schulz) Share this page DANCE TO THE MUSIC, CELEBRATE LIFE! Here’s a sweet festive season story:  a reminder that it’s not only humans who respond to rhythm and music – as some of us have learned observing our animal companions chilling with music, from classical to jazz, rock to country.  According to this ABC story (accompanied by a delightful video of a white cockatoo’s dance moves supplied courtesy of Cell Press), a Charles Sturt University study has documented dance moves unique to cockatoo species. Researchers hope music can be used to improve the wellbeing of birds in captivity. A praiseworthy goal. We may agree that our wild birds should not be in captivity in the first place, not least the gregarious and active parrots and cockatoos but since they are, consider zoos, stimulating engagement with music should help. Headbanging and sidestepping to music The story by regional ABC reporter Coco Veldkamp, draws on a study published in the journal PLOS One that found cockatoos can headbang, body roll and sidestep intentionally to music. In the study, researchers found some cockatoos had their own signature moves, unique to each individual, while other species appeared to favour different styles. https://vimeo.com/1148537462https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-07/cockatoos-have-unique-dance-moves-csu-study-finds/105600994 The ABC story reports: “Spontaneous dancing in time to music had only been officially recorded in humans until Snowball, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, went viral for dancing to the Backstreet Boys more than a decade ago. This link offers another cockatoo dancing sequence featuring Snowball the lab cockatoo. “In 2019, in a Current Biology study, professor of psychology at Tufts University, Aniruddh Patel, and his colleagues explored Snowball’s ability to dance spontaneously, challenging the long-held belief that sophisticated movement to music was uniquely human. “The study showed that Snowball developed 16 distinct moves without any formal training to dance.…By studying dancing to music in numerous parrots across several species, the new study found 17 new moves.”  The Australian Charles Sturt researchers worked with Major Mitchells cockatoos as well as Sulphur-Crested cockatoos and Galahs at Wagga Wagga zoo. They reported: “One particularly enthusiastic Major Mitchell cockatoo made a total of 257 moves in sequence while listening to a 20-minute loop of The Nights.”

Share this page HOPE AND ACT FOR NATURE Our AWPC mission is to encourage each of us to co-exist positively with the nature around us, find solutions to local nature destruction and actively work for wildlife people, our fellow species, and their habitats. Linked are a couple of stories on the threat to our mutual habitat, this small green planet, with a call for us as citizens to be proactive – demand effective remedies for restoration of atmospheric balance and not be sidetracked and hobbled by the weak or dismissive and distracting response we now see from elected political leaders. Do they have a death wish?  The stakes are about the whole of biodiversity as much as human survival in the comfy ‘civilizations’ we enjoy. The call for individual action for the planet and our fellow species is nicely put by the eminent zoologist Jane Goodall in a foreword to a recent book profiling community action for nature around the world, Echos from Eden. (Jane Goodall, main image. Source: ABC, supplied by The Jane Goodall Institute). She writes: “One of the questions I am asked most often is: Do you honestly believe there is hope for our world? And I answer truthfully that we do have a window of time during which we can start healing the harm we have inflicted on the planet – but the window is closing….  We must get together and take action now. “My definition of hope is different from simple optimism – just passively hoping that something will happen. No, for me hope is generated through action… the cumulative effect of thousands of ethical actions will improve our world for future generations.” To consider: links to climate change/nature stories courtesy of The Guardian Net zero is an insidious loophole that distracts from the scientific imperative to eliminate fossil fuels writes Joëlle Gergis https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree /2025/nov/07/net-zero-distracts-from-scientific-imperative-to-eliminate-fossil-fuels-cop30?CMP=share_btn_url What are we offered as daily media fare on climate change? The spectacular nonsense of the Coalition’s internal brawl over the 2050 net zero emissions target https://www.theguardian.com /environment/commentisfree/2025/nov/11/ coalition-brawl-australia-2050-net-zero-emissions-target?CMP=share_btn_url Biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. Here are three ways to ensure Australia’s conservation law actually works | Atticus Fleming and Andrew Macintosh https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree /2025/oct/28/australia-conservation-law-biodiversity-decline?CMP=share_btn_url

Share this page Virtual fencing: SAVES LIVES, TRAUMA, CAR INSURANCE CLAIMS The Australian Wildlife Protection Council applauds the success stories emerging from some areas in Victoria, Tasmania, and on the South Coast of NSW involving virtual fencing placed to stem wildlife kills on our roads.Virtual fencing is a relatively inexpensive technology designed to alert animals to oncoming traffic. It involves the installation of small roadside devices on posts spaced approximately 25 metres apart. The devices emit high-frequency sounds and flashing lights when they detect the headlights of approaching vehicles at night or in low-light conditions. Supplied ImagesThese signals are designed to deter animals, particularly kangaroos, from crossing the road when a vehicle is approaching. The technology does not harm wildlife or require fencing that restricts animal movement across the landscape. 90% fewer kangaroo strikes at known road hotspot Virtual fencing has proven effective in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. On the NSW South Coast, 1.1kms (46 posts) of virtual fencing were installed on 8 October 2022. Prior to that installation and during the peak holiday season, wildlife rescue volunteers and council staff were attending up to five wildlife strikes per week. After the virtual fencing was installed, only five kangaroos were struck in eight months. That is a 90% reduction in kangaroo fatalities along a known hotspot.On Victoria’s Surf Coast, a virtual fencing trial has halved the number of vehicle collisions with macropods (kangaroo species) at a known hotspot. Trial proposed for Canberra Canberra’s wildlife advocates took note, and are proposing a virtual fencing trial at a known kangaroo fatality hotspot. In September, ACT Greens Deputy Leader, Jo Clay, tabled a community petition signed by 1350 people. It calls for a trial of virtual fencing along Erindale Drive to reduce collisions with wildlife, kangaroos and wombats. If effective, the trail on Erindale Drive between Farrer Ridge and Wanniassa Hills could be expanded to other known hot spots.Accidentally hitting wildlife with a car is incredibly distressing – for the animal, the driver, people who witness it…“It is not easy for anyone to see an animal in pain and, in most cases, die,” Ms Clay said.Canberra has prided itself as the bush capital, surrounded by nature. However there has long existed a conflicting picture of the capital and its relationship with nature. The positive virtual fencing initiative pushes back at the brutal killing of kangaroo families on city nature reserves, an ACT government policy for the past decade. Moving to virtual fencing also highlights likely reasons, involving motorist complaints, driving that lethal government policy. Lead petitioner Aisha Bottrill (image at start of story) of Save Canberra’s Kangaroos has attended many incidents on Erindale Drive. She says she learned from wildlife carers, the ones on the frontline caring for animals hit by vehicles. They have reported seeing a decrease in call outs in places where there is virtual fencing. “That’s why wildlife carers have been calling for virtual fencing to be rolled out in more areas. They know it works and can see firsthand the impact it has on reducing collisions.” Insurance firms in pivotal place Save Canberra’s Kangaroos (SCK) is seeking sponsorship from insurance companies to fund the trial. Success would confirm the potential for savings on personal injury payouts, and reduce the number and cost of motor vehicle claims. SCK points out that in the longer term this should also reduce motor vehicle premiums and provide a greater return to shareholders, while protecting our precious wildlife from car strikes. AWPC has supported the outreach to insurance companies as partners. Winter, spring months increase collision potential AAMI and NRMA insurance claims data show that on average collisions with wildlife are more common during the winter months and into spring (Sept/October). Animals are on the move for food or involve males leaving the home range in spring. Short winter days involve more driving time in lower light conditions plus poorer weather conditions increase the chances of hitting an animal, particularly early morning and during dusk (commuting hours). Claims data from July 2024 – June 2025 showed AAMI processed over 23,840 wildlife-related claims, with regional roads being particularly dangerous. Canberra had the most animal collisions in an Australian city, according to 2020 AAMI claims data.An ACT Parks and Conservation chart pertaining to Eastern Grey Kangaroos collisions, supports insurance company data that winter and spring are the worst months. Look at your area Consider advocating for virtual fencing in your council area. We’ll endeavour to keep you posted on this initiative or follow SCK Facebook and Instagram.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-23/eurobodalla-virtual-fence-trial-reducing-roadkill-incidents/102880624https://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/environment/native-and-threatened-species/virtual-fencinghttps://ger.org.au/first-trial-of-virtual-fencing-to-reduce-wildlife-roadkill-on-nsw-south-coast-deemed-a-major-success/

Share this page EVERY WEEK IS A GOOD WEEK TO LEARN FROM OUR FIRST NATIONS We meet ‘Back to Country’ A top AWPC focus today and going forward is to campaign for respectful co-existence with ALL Australian native animals and Australia nature. To re-establish respect that comes with compassion and some basic ecological understanding, and relegate to the dustbin of history today’s lethal ideas and modes of wildlife ‘management’ with traceable roots in colonial thinking.Recent political news spotlights again how close we are to those colonial roots. Not so long ago the Victorian government was shooting koalas out of trees as a ‘management’ solution. We then heard that the NSW Labor government, (for the numbers to pass some legislation limiting workers compensation!) proposed to support a Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party bill that would enshrine recreational hunting across public lands, plus reinstitute bounties for wild animals.History has dark reminder of the massacres of Australian native animals using bounties. Marsupials – particularly kangaroo species, dingos, emus, were extensively slaughtered with bounties to suit colonial farming takeover of Country. Are we stuck in 19th century colonial land management methods? Looking for a mutually healthier relationship with Australian nature, we can learn much from the worldviews and Country-care philosophies of Australia’s First Nations – that go well beyond the popular topic of learning indigenous techniques for cool patch burning. Back to Country’s Peter Hewitt (L) with Anthony McKnight, both educators at the University of Wollongong. Timeless understanding of these Australians To end the industrial-scale slaughter of kangaroos in Australia, the world’s biggest land-based wildlife killing with a related trade in kangaroo body parts – that many Australians accept as normal behaviour – a change of frame is essential. A positive change is to respect kangaroos as fellow communities, family groups and individuals with beneficial agency in ecosystems and equal right to be here. For some indigenous communities kangaroos are a sacred totem/family relative or ancestor. All Australian native animals, also for trees and plants, for rivers and other natural landforms parallel stories of respect and co-dependence are told in Aboriginal stories.A door, which has been open for thousands of years, was given focus by Yuin Elder Max Dulumunmun Harrison, who is now in the dreaming, aimed to restore respect and mainstream Australia’s understanding of the kangaroo: an animal that the dominant post-colonial culture treats as a ‘pest’ or a product. In 2021 Uncle Max, working with kangaroo advocacy groups to educate the public here and abroad, published ‘The Yuin Declaration for Kangaroos’ explaining how kangaroos have helped create (and still do) the Australian land we inhabit, their family nature, and their kinship with his people, also the ‘iconic’ status of the kangaroo in the European culture that nevertheless disrespects and persecutes them. He wrote: “The kangaroo has inhabited the Australian continent for over 20 million years, living in peace and ecological harmony. The kangaroo co-exists today as they have for millenniums, in balance with the flora fauna and livings being of this land. This ancient iconic native animal, therefore claims sovereign rights above and beyond any human claims of dominion over them.“Kangaroos are intelligent, sentient beings, living in family groups and have their own songlines, language, culture and dreaming. As they traverse their own dreaming tracks they continue to activate the earths songlines for the survival of all living things.“We declare that there exists a living ancestral relationship, uniquely bound between indigenous Australians and kangaroos, which shall be preserved historically, spiritually, culturally and environmentally for all times.“Kangaroos have been acknowledged as the symbol for colonised Australia since 1773. They are observed on the Coat of Arms, and have become the central national icon. The kangaroos abounding power, and soft majestic movement, and gentle elegance has given this landscape its unique character.”https://www.kangaroosalive.org/yuin-declaration Back to Country Uncle Max was instrumental in establishing Back to Country, a not-for-profit organisation. Back to Country is an Indigenous-led initiative that invites our people and Second Nations peoples to give back to Country, and, in doing so, to heal Country and heal themselves. It’s a culturally grounded organisation set up in the way we do cultural work but also through the Western knowledge system to bring those two systems together.To learn more about Back to Country and explore a worldview of respect and mutual responsibility towards the nature around us, AWPC spoke with two educators, Anthony McKnight (Macka) and Peter Hewitt (Pete), from the University of Wollongong (UoW), who served as spokespeople for Back to Country. Anthony McKnight is an Awabakal, Gumaroi, and Yuin cultural man and Associate Professor, working as Curriculum Transformation Lead at the University of Wollongong (UoW). Peter Hewitt is a Jerrinja/Yuin man and Lecturer in Aboriginal Education.Peter Hewitt has been working closely with Kangaroos Alive on their campaigns to stop the international trade in kangaroo skins and continue public education highlighting First Nations values. Here are some of the questions and themes from the chat with AWPC’s Maria Taylor. The answers come from Macca and Pete. Questions or topics in bold. What is the aim of Back to Country? Our culture is all about finding connections – there are many points we can connect to, to reduce the overall influence of the colonial systems that have done all the damage.An example “the hydrology of the land. How do we bring both knowledge systems together to repair what has been (badly) changed? We, First Nations, took care of the land so we didn’t have to do the repair. Farmers hold knowledge now about that landscape so there are ways we can learn from each other.Uncle Max taught us how to interpret and read the text of the land, be guided by Country. Some of the work Back to Country does is invite non-Aboriginal people to see the text of the land. How do you do that? The first stage is teaching people how to look, listen and see. That is a legacy that has been passed down from Grandfather Sun to Uncle Max who is now

Share this page IT WORKS! SHUT-DOWN WILDLIFE TRADE BUYER by BUYER Here’s a very good news story after decades of a related horror story – with some way still to go for redemption.The shameful trade in kangaroo body parts, backed by Australians federal and state governments and major political parties, declined again in May thanks to US, Australian and European citizen campaigns. The goal: to end the demand for kangaroo skins for human apparel, including luxury fashion brands and motorcycle gear and popular for sports shoes like soccer cleats. Adidas, one of the last shoe brands still using kangaroo leather, announced it would phase out the practice. Australia’s Kangaroos Alive team, including First Nations representatives, has been campaigning with European partners to stop the kangaroo skin trade. Australian kangaroo advocacy groups protested in front of domestic shoe stores in support.At the same time, The US Centre for a Humane Economy (CHE) took another credit for its ‘Kangaroos Are Not Shoes’ campaign aimed at persuading markets to use alternatives to the skin of the beloved Australian icon and finally shut down a long-running, brutal wildlife trade. The world’s biggest land-based wildlife slaughter Photo Credit: Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC)Australian businesses, with state approval, conduct the world’s biggest land-based wildlife slaughter and have for decades. It is a horrific native animal butchery and export trade that has been resolutely ignored or denied in the public arena while Australian politicians and media lecture other countries about slaughtering whales and baby seals. The domestic silence and approval has been a reason to take the opposition campaigns to overseas markets.CHE reported that Japanese-owned ASICS is similarly phasing out the use of kangaroo skins for sports shoes. Below, excerpts from news releases by both organisations with more detail and a look at the next targets. ‘Kangaroos are not shoes’ campaign news “Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Center for a Humane Economy, received a pledge from the CEO of Adidas at the company’s annual general meeting in Fürth (in Germany in May). Nike, Puma, New Balance, Diadora, and U.K.-based Sokito made prior announcements about divorcing their companies from the kangaroo skin trade.“With the rapid-fire announcements from ASICS and Adidas, we’re witnessing the dismantling of a supply chain built on bloodshed and the orphaning of kangaroo joeys,” said Pacelle. “The foreign markets for kangaroo skins are collapsing, and that can only mean good news for the iconic marsupials of Australia.”“ASICS has acknowledged a fundamental truth: the commercial slaughter of wild kangaroos for their skins is neither ethical nor morally defensible,” said Jennifer Skiff, director of international programs at the Center for a Humane Economy and lead of the organization’s Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign. “ASICS’s innovative materials outperform kangaroo leather, removing any justification for continuing this inhumane trade.“With ASICS stepping away from kangaroo leather, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action are ramping up efforts to persuade Mizuno — the last major athletic shoe brand still using kangaroo leather — to make the same commitment.“Complementing the work with corporations, Animal Wellness Action is also spearheading support for the Kangaroo Protection Act — a bill in the U.S. Congress to ban the import and sale of products made from kangaroo parts. Learn more and take action at KangaroosAreNotShoes.org” The European campaign Sydney-based Kangaroos Alive wrote “German sports brand ADIDAS reported that they will stop all use of kangaroo skins in their football boots. ADIDAS CEO Bjorn Gulden made the announcement at their AGM last week, saying ‘We haven’t purchased any kangaroo leather since August of last year. By the end of 2025, Adidas’ production will be 100 percent kangaroo leather-free’. Building on Australian international campaigns in the 1990s to end a Russian market for kangaroo meat and push back on Chinese interest for same, also UK’s VIVA campaign ending supermarket retailing of kangaroo meat, [detailed in my book Injustice… ], in 2019 Kangaroos Alive, “helped create a coalition of EU groups to stop the import of kangaroo products into Europe. This campaign was launched following European screenings of their film KANGAROO A Love Hate Story. The film was screened in the European Parliament and to several big brands, including ADIDAS.“The EU coalition first met with ADIDAS management in Germany in 2019 who pushed back on our requests. What followed was a long public campaign lobbying ADIDAS. However we did have immediate success with other major European fashion brands including PRADA, GUCCI, DIADORA and Europe’s largest Supermarket chain CARREFOUR. They all stopped using or selling kangaroo body parts demonstrating openness to protecting wildlife from harm. Kangaroos Alive published this list of companies that were using kangaroo leather or meat in 2018. Those that have stopped since, thanks to citizen lobbying (including the viewing of the KANGAROO film) are noted by a green cross. That would now include ASICS. Kangaroos Alive’s media release continued:“Over the years since we started campaigning in Europe with our EU partners, Kangaroos Alive have helped convince other major international companies to stop using kangaroo skins. Including German brand PUMA, Dutch Sports store INTERSPORT, and the world’s biggest sports store French franchise DECATHLON. “Special mentions to GAIA in Belgium and Pro Wildlife in Germany who got the ADIDAS campaign started in 2019; and to other coalition members including LAV Italy, World Animal Protection The Netherlands, Animal Welfare Institute, Voiceless, Back to Country, coordinated by Eurogroup for Animals. And special thanks to all our colleagues who have pressured ADIDAS in this campaign including Animals Australia, Victorian Kangaroos Alliance, Animal Justice Party, Center for a Humane Economy, Their Turn and NY Class.“Last year co-founder Mick McIntyre travelled to Vietnam because it is one of the world’s biggest importers of kangaroo skins. The screening [of KANGAROO…] in Ho Chi Minh City – home to ADIDAS’s largest shoe factory – was a big success. Representatives from several corporations, including ADIDAS attended the screening. “Looking ahead as we celebrate this latest victory for kangaroos, there are still many brands who are part of the killing of Australian

Share this page Citizen campaign = Council vote AGAINST kangaroo industry “We are SO delighted to announce that the Shire of Yarra Ranges Council, in the state of Victoria have voted in favour of advocating against the kangaroo industry operating within the Shire. This is a HUGE victory, and we are so thrilled and grateful to the Councillors who UNANIMOUSLY supported the motion. A special thanks to Cr Len Cox OAM for leading the motion, Cr Tim Heenan for seconding, and Cr Fiona McAllister for her heartfelt support.Thank you to local environmentalist Peter Preuss [also onetime AWPC president] for spearheading this campaign so diligently, and to those who joined him on our working group – Helena (our coordinator), Aunty Janet, Dr Tash, Mike, Peter and Andrea, Kate, and Meaghan. Everyone has worked so tirelessly. And to the community members who have rallied behind this campaign – written, called, shared, contributed, showed up… you’re all incredible.There were lots of amazing quotes that we wanted to capture from the Councillor’s comments. Here are a couple that we wrote down as faithfully as possible, though maybe not exactly verbatim! ‘I think [this motion] is one of the most important things to have come in front of this Council for many years.’- Cr Len Cox OAM ‘They are part of the makeup of Australia, and they have been here much longer than us.’ – Cr Tim Heenan‘The harvesting scheme does not pass the moral test… it does not look to me that it has been managed appropriately’. – Cr Peter McIlwain‘If we were talking about ‘harvesting’ koalas or dogs there would be such an outcry… in our part of the world I see no need to kill kangaroos in this context, for money.’ – Cr Fiona McAllister‘If we are going to care for Country under our Acknowledgment [of Country], then we need to care for all of it, and that includes the kangaroos’. – Cr Jeff MarriottSo where to from here? We wait for the Council to formally notify the state government that they want the Shire of Yarra Ranges to be excluded from the commercial kangaroo industry. If Victorian Labor listens to the voice of their constituents, they will grant this request and the Shire will be exempt from commercial shooting. If they ignore it, the Council’s decision remains a strong indictment against the kangaroo industry, and will serve as a reinforcing precedent for other councils also seeking an exemption. They have dealt another blow to this vile wildlife trade, and stand firmly on the right side of history. This is a vital win, proving that Australians want the killing of kangaroos to stop. The assignment now is to get all councils to stop the commercial kangaroo industry operating within their borders! We are inspired by local environmentalist Peter Preuss “I believe we saw democracy in action on April 8. While obviously not everyone agrees that the commercial killing of kangaroos is unwarranted, unacceptably cruel and unsustainable, the view of the majority of Yarra Ranges residents, workers and visitors to the Yarra Ranges was upheld. The commercial killing of kangaroos is simply unwanted.”Huge thanks to all involved in the Yarra Shire win and keep up the great work!!Photos: VicKangas.org Tamsin Ramone VisitYarraValley.com.au Advocacy group Kangaroos Alive added: Dedicated to protecting our national icon“Kangaroos are intelligent, sentient beings, living in family groups and have their own songlines, language, culture and dreaming. As they traverse their own dreaming tracks, they continue to activate the earth’s songlines for the survival of all living things.” from Back to Country and Uncle Max Harrison We at Kangaroos Alive acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we live and work and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. Close to our heart is the Yuin Declaration For Kangaroos

Share this page Victory amidst wildlife crisis: Sydney council joins fight against deadly rat poisons In a significant step for wildlife protection, Camden Council has become the latest in a line of local governments to eliminate Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) from all their facilities. This watershed moment comes hot on the heels of alarming new research revealing these deadly poisons are infiltrating Australia’s most iconic marsupial species. Growing movement for change Camden Council’s decisive action shows momentum for change is building across New South Wales. Following Albury City’s pioneering decision to discontinue their use of SGARs earlier this year, Camden’s commitment to wildlife-friendly rodent management proves that councils are increasingly recognising the devastating ecological impacts of these indiscriminate killers. “By removing SGARs from all council buildings and parks, Camden has created a safer environment for nearly 200 native species in their region,” notes Animal Liberation’s campaign director. “Their swift response after learning about the risks shows that change isn’t just possible — it’s happening now”. Devastating evidence of marsupial poisoning While council actions so far are cause for celebration, groundbreaking research has uncovered a disturbing new dimension to this crisis. SGARs are now confirmed to be poisoning some of Australia’s most beloved and endangered marsupials, with catastrophic consequences: 50% of tested marsupials, including Tasmanian Devils and Quolls, carried SGARs in their bodies 21% contained multiple poison types, creating deadly toxic cocktails Up to 17.3% likely died directly from SGAR poisoning — not predators, not habitat loss, but poisons sold freely in stores and online. Perhaps most alarming was the discovery that one Chuditch, or Western Quoll, contained one of the highest concentrations of SGARs ever recorded in a wild carnivore. For species already teetering on the edge of extinction, these poisons could be delivering the final blow. Deadly chain reaction through ecosystems Unlike traditional rodent management methods, SGARs create a ripple effect throughout ecosystems. When a Tasmanian Devil scavenges a poisoned carcass or a Spotted-tailed Quoll consumes contaminated prey, they ingest these long-lasting toxins. The victim suffers for days — weakened, disoriented, bleeding internally — before succumbing to a slow, painful death.This expanding body of evidence paints a grim picture: products marketed for “rodent control” are decimating Australia’s unique wildlife. From Powerful Owls to Tasmanian Devils, from Wedge-tailed Eagles to Eastern Quolls, and everyone in between — SGARs are pushing already threatened species closer to extinction. The Path Forward While Camden and Albury demonstrate leadership, much work remains to be done. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority continues to allow the sale of these deadly poisons online and in retail stores across the country, despite mounting evidence of their ecological harm.But together, we can accelerate change. Every signature on the petition to ban SGARs in NSW builds pressure on decision-makers. Every council that eliminates these poisons creates a safer habitat for native wildlife. And every voice raised in support of alternative rodent management brings us closer to breaking this toxic cycle forever.Will you join the movement to protect Australia’s remarkable wildlife from these indiscriminate killers? Sign the petition today at www.al.org.au/ban-rat-poisons and help ensure these iconic Australian species survive for generations to come.The dominoes are falling. From Albury to Camden, the tide is turning against SGARs. Your voice could be the one that tips the scales toward statewide action. What Should You Look For? Products containing SGARs are often sold under brand names or generic labels that can make them hard to identify at first glance. Commonly available SGAR products include: Brodifacoum-based products: Often sold under brands like ‘Talon’ or ‘Ditrac’. Bromadiolone-based products: Found in brands such as ‘Mortein Rat Kill’, ‘Just One Bite’, or ‘RatSak’. Difenacoum-based products: Less common but still available under certain control labels, such as ‘The Big Cheese’ or ‘Ratshot’. These products are often brightly packaged and placed alongside everyday household items, making them easy to purchase but devastatingly harmful when used. If you spot these products being sold or suspect they’re being used in your neighborhood, report them immediately so advocacy groups can take action.

Share this page Make Fences Wildlife-friendly, Cut The Old Style On the day they moved in, two new property owners were confronted with something awful: an Eastern Grey kangaroo struggling, caught on a barbed wire fence.Doug Gimesy is a wildlife photojournalist, and with his partner had bought a 120-acre property, at Wongarra in the vicinity of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. They planned to rewild some of their land and naturally were wildlife-friendly. A big tree-planting project was already on the drawing board. When I caught up with Doug for AWPC, he was busy with insulating the roof cavity of the house that needs renovation. Earlier, some outdoor fixtures also badly needed renovation. Since May last year, Doug became unexpectedly busy for months and then a little bit famous by sharing publicly a mammoth task of compassion he undertook. The first act of rewilding was to single-handedly take down kilometres of barbed wire: the top two strands of the old fencing around and within his property. AWPC salutes him for the public awareness he has been raising. Barbed wire traps and kills native species trying to travel through the landscape, in both rural and urban country. Closely-spaced top wires of any kind, barbed or plain, can catch and twist a kangaroo or wallaby leg and leave the animal to an agonizing fate – hanging upside down for days. Of that first kangaroo struggling in the wire Doug says: “Of course we cut the fence so it could escape – but I also decided: not on my watch.” He got to work with a pair of wire/bolt cutters taking off the top strands, rolling up the wire, lowering the height of the fence for easier passage by kangaroos. Small kangaroos, joeys, indeed most wildlife that doesn’t jump high and doesn’t have wings actually goes under wire fences. That left Doug with the issue of what to do with the bottom wires of his fences. As in many cases, they scraped the ground and left no room for wildlife to transit underneath or just above. Doug says on the property they enjoy the company of kangaroos and wallabies, snakes, lizards, echidnas, even koalas, and rich birdlife. Taking off the bottom strands looked onerous and snake-risky with high grass around. A fencer quote made a professional job financially untenable. The answer here, as likely for many landholders, was to cut openings in the fence at certain intervals to make safe wildlife corridors. What are the ingredients of a wildlife-friendly fence? A number of AWPC members, myself included, live in a NSW local government area where the council has an enlightened fencing standard that was devised to be ‘wildlife-friendly’ – the legacy of an earlier time and community activism. Asking the current council to enforce its own standard is another battle, as developers/landowners in partnership with fencing contractors continue to erect lethal and impenetrable fences that trap and injure and keep native animals from reaching water, food and shelter and sometimes force them into roadways.The key elements of this fencing standard offer a good guide for any landholder or developer who wants to be compassionate and allow wildlife to transit to food, water and shelter while also being kind to horses or other stock being enclosed – considering that we are probably talking primarily to small-block owners and subdividers.No barbed wire. Height limit 1.2 metres (unless higher required for stock like deer)  one 4.0 mm high tensile, high visibility PVC coated wire on top (‘horse sighter’ or similar wire)  one carry 2.5mm high tensile wire at least 300mm below the top wire.  This distance between the top two wires is to avoid kangaroos/wallabies catching and twisting a leg as they jump over. one bottom 2.5 mm high tensile wire at least 150mm above the ground.  This distance from the ground is to allow passage of wildlife at ground level.  Consider small joeys, echidnas, lizards, wombats… Often-used wire mesh and hinged wire or ringlock can trap animals, as wildlife rescuers testify, hence these materials are not recommended in wildlife-friendly fencing. As I was finishing this report for the AWPC website, I heard about a heroic rescue by a local wildlife hospital that regularly treats kangaroo victims of hazardous fences. In this case a large male kangaroo was found at a rural residential property with metres of barbed wire wrapped around a lower leg. Barbs were embedded in the leg. A very difficult disentanglement and rescue/treatment followed. Barbed wire also a killer in urban areas Doug had much to say about the inappropriate use of barbed wire in urban settings. He rescued grey-headed flying foxes from this nasty trap during his five years as a wildlife rescuer in the Melbourne area. Starting out visually documenting rescues, he says he soon found himself unable to stay a bystander while animals became impaled on the barbs. Councils sometimes erect barbed wire around institutions, even around train stations or around construction sites. Some private property owners and businesses reach for the barbed wire to deter thieves. However, as Doug says, a canny thief will have wire cutters and a blanket to get over. Meanwhile the animals pay the price.“I’ve seen flying foxes, owls and possums caught, in about that order of frequency, a suger glider once… It’s just impossible to justify having barbed wire in urban environments.” The Australian Citizen Science Association has a website called ‘Entangled Wildlife Australia’ started by wildlife-friendly fencing advocates and educators. The ‘entangled’ website is collecting data and offers assistance to citizens who want to disentangle Australia from the barbaric barbed wire and related harmful fence-design habit. Check it out here

Share this page Doing Good And Restoring The Land: A Wild Business Model The AWPC, focusing on restoring respect and co-existence with the land, plants, and animals native to Australia, is keen to showcase great solutions and ways to turn around the effects of dispossession and destruction that accompanied economic models imposed on the landscape since colonial takeover. Here’s an inspiring experiment of renewal and regeneration within a private sector, business framework. AWPC thanks our public broadcaster, the ABC, for this story and photogenic content. Also noted: the AWPC website owes considerable thanks to Canva for its looks and imagery. Why mention it here? We were delighted to see a family partnership related to Canva is the driving force behind this solution for biodiversity. Learn more