Comments 9

• Cienwen

  13 Nov 2011

  ASK President Nikki Sutterby said “When comparing with the 2010 data these reported increases of 100%, 200% and 300% in some regions are statistically and physiologically impossible based on kangaroo reproductive biology. Kangaroos produce only one joey per year and have an average population growth of only 10-15%, depending on the species.”
  
  “These outrageous population increases raise serious questions about the accuracy of their kangaroo survey methodology and the possibility that the data is being manipulated and exaggerated to suit political and commercial agendas, such as the potential reopening of the export market to Russia.”
  
  http://WWW.AustralianSocietyforKangaroos.org
  E: AustralianSocietyforKangaroos@gmail. com Report

   

• Pamela

  13 Nov 2011

  Trust the DERM thugs to try to tell us that fresh rain water and Australian wildlife are bad things, but dredging and killing kangaroos are good things. They should all be fired and replaced with real experienced wildlife carers instead of the gun happy control freaks that they are. Report

   

• Pamela

  13 Nov 2011

  How can anyone associated with a group known to many as the KKK (Kangaroo Killing Kommunity) have any credibility at all when they have a vested interest in the deaths (and sellout) of our beautiful and endangered Australian kangaroos? They only wish to profit from dirty blood money. Report

   

• Pamela

  13 Nov 2011

  Kangaroos could not have possibly increased their numbers in so little time. This is pure fear mongering with an agenda to sell dead kangaroos to Russia and anyone else who can be conned into buying them. Kangaroos have enough hardships and losses due to floods, bushfires, dogs, speeding vehicles and yobbos with guns destroying their family groups, without the KKK and their mates from DERM spinning more propaganda about 'ballooning numbers' and 'plague proportions' whipping up hysteria. One thing we will see more of with all the new undergrowth are snakes, which will be one more problem for kangaroos to have to contend with. Report

   

• njmck

  14 Nov 2011

  Numbers increased by a little more than 50%, that sounds accurate. Every female has produced a joey, some have had time to go again depending on when surveys were done..it may be more than 12 months.
  Cienwen, I didn't see claims of 100/200/300 % increases anywhere... but even so, since the Q'land drought actually broke 2.5 years ago
  Incredible amounts of water and growth that wern't around before, are now.. this WILL lead to a massive increase in Kangaroo's... you would need to be a bit soft in the head to not agree with that!
  
  I think you will find that the average of 10-15% pop increases changes a little when you get "boom" conditions, it is the nature of Australian animals to bounce back to plagues proportions after a drought... Report

   

• nick

  14 Nov 2011

  Pamela, your contributions are pathetically emotional and serioulsy ignorant and un-informed.
  If you cannot understand that unprecedented freshwater run off or an over population of certain areas of Kangaroo's can have negative impacts then please don't push your childish views into the public arena!
  Report

   

• Cienwen

  22 Nov 2011

  @Njmck, I understand how you can think that a 50% increase sounds right but you have to take into consideration that after floods there huge amounts of Kangaroos die in 'Post Flood Die Back' So they die during and after floods. Consider also scientifically proven research that juvenile mortality rates are up to 70% so only around 30% of joeys make it to adulthood. Boom conditions may increase the juvenile survival slightly but with the number of Kangaroos already lost the numbers from KIAA and AgForce cannot possible increase by100 - 300% Australian animals do bounce back after disasters but it's forgotten how many died during the disaster and mobs are not made up entirely of females. Report

   

• Cienwen

  22 Nov 2011

  @ Nick You have your opinion and Pamela has hers I don't feel you have any right to be downright rude to her. If Pamela becomes emotional then that's her right, if you want her to understand your viewpoint then why don't you try explaining it to her and others making comment on here? Report

   

• sciencematters

  09 Apr 2012

  NJmck and Nick. It is biologically impossible for kangaroos to increase numbers more than they are physically able to. It's like saying women can have 2x 9 month pregnancies in a year. It's impossible, no matter how much water they have around them!
  
  Not sure what the assertion of increased freshwater has to do with kangaroo population ecology? If you are both actually interested in the science of kangaroo ecology and biology, and in the scientifically invalid methodology around counting roos (with resulting 100% + increases!) then take the time to really read the paper at: http://www.kangaroosatrisk.net. Please do take the trouble. I suspect you would find it very interesting and disturbing - with a thoughtful mind. Report