The Inhumane Killing of Joeys

Myth: The killing of pouch joeys is humane.

Truth: How kangaroos are killed is described in the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes. Shooters are meant to abide by this code, even though shooters are not monitored or policed.

The following is how to kill pouch joeys as per the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes:

Euthanasia of partially-furred to fully-furred pouch young

Concussive blow to the head

• The most suitable method that is currently available for the euthanasia of partiallyfurred to fully-furred young is a concussive blow to the head (also called blunt force trauma). This method is considered acceptable as the skulls of pouch young are small, soft and thin. When it is applied correctly, unconsciousness and death will occur rapidly.
• A single sharp blow to the central skull bones induces death by physical (or mechanical) damage to the central nervous system and disruption of brain activity. Death then occurs as a result of respiratory and cardiac failure.
• The efficiency and humaneness of this method depends on the operator’s skill and determination. The concussive blow must be delivered with sufficient force and be precisely on target to ensure that adequate damage occurs to vital structures of the brain to cause immediate and sustained unconsciousness and death.
• If this procedure is not performed correctly there will be varying degrees of consciousness and it is likely that the animal will suffer prior to death. If the first blow does not hit the skull but hits, for example, the jaw or a limb, or if the brain is not sufficiently destroyed, then the animal will experience pain and distress.
• To deliver the concussive blow, carefully remove the young from the pouch (note they are not permanently attached to the teat at this stage of development but could still be suckling), hold the young firmly by the hindquarters (around the top of the back legs and base of tail) and then swing firmly and quickly in an arc so that the rear of the joey’s head is hit against a large solid surface that will not move or compress during the impact (e.g. the tray of a utility vehicle).
• DO NOT hit the joeys’ head against the railing of the utility rack, as this can result in decapitation rather than the intended concussive blow to the head.
• DO NOT suspend joeys upside down by the hindquarters or tail and then try to hit the head with an iron bar (or similar). Holding them in this manner allows the joey to move around and makes it difficult to make contact with the correct location on the head. In addition, the force of the blow may not be sufficient to render the joey unconscious with only one strike.

Myth: The killing of young-at-foot joeys is humane.

Truth: How kangaroos are killed is described in the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes. Shooters are meant to abide by this code, even though shooters are not monitored or policed.

The following is how to kill young-at-foot joeys as per the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes:

Euthanasia of YAF (young-at-foot)

• If small YAF (approx. ≤5kg bodyweight) are caught by hand, they must be
euthanased using a concussive blow to the head as described for large pouch young in Appendix 5: Procedures for euthanasia of pouch young.
• Most YAF are highly mobile and are difficult to catch by hand, therefore shooting is the least stressful and most appropriate method for their euthanasia during harvesting. More details on shooting procedures can be found in Appendix 4: Standard operating procedure for shooting kangaroos and wallabies.
• Firearms and ammunition suitable for euthanasia of YAF are listed in Appendix 3: Firearms and ammunition specifications (Table 2).
• Risk of wounding is minimised when harvesters only shoot stationary animals that are clearly visible and within a range that permits the accurate placement of a shot. YAF that are fleeing should not be shot at since the shots will be less accurate and there will be a greater risk of wounding.
• The harvester must aim to hit the target animal in either the head (so as to destroy the vital areas of the brain), or the chest (so as to destroy the heart, lungs and great blood vessels). See Figure 3 for shot placement for euthanasia of YAF.
• A shot to the head is preferable to a shot to the chest as it is more likely to cause instantaneous loss of consciousness. However, the judgement of the harvester is important in determining the optimum shot placement to achieve a quick, humane death for each animal. In some situations when conditions may be less than ideal, it may be more appropriate to use a chest shot.
• Individual YAF can react differently after the female has been shot. Some will flee and some will remain stationary and calm. To avoid the escape of YAF, harvesters could potentially shoot them before the female is shot, however the judgement of the shooter is important in determining if this is a feasible option in each particular situation.

In 2020 forums were conducted with commercial kangaroo shooters in New South Wales and Queensland. One of the key findings is that shooters require more guidance on methods of killing pouch young and young-at-foot.