The Chirnside Park community is in anguish after a number of “beloved” kangaroos have been found dead, injured or decapitated at a local country club.
The Heritage Golf and Country Club was forced to halt a planned cull to a mob of kangaroos in April this year following public outcry and a number of vigils from surrounding residents and activists.
Residents were notified at the eleventh hour that a licenced shooter had been contracted to conduct a mass shooting at the club overnight on Tuesday 27 April.
After a number of protests, the golf course gave police their word that the shooting had been called off, but fresh evidence presented to Wildlife Victoria indicates there has been daily killings of kangaroos in recent weeks using other means.
Wildlife Victoria CEO, Lisa Palma, said the state wildlife rescue organisation had received a disproportionate amount of call outs to the Heritage Golf and Country Club over the last few weeks.
“What we’re seeing is the result of a prolonged and sustained attack on the kangaroos living at the property. Someone is clearly attempting to reduce kangaroo numbers on the grounds by stealth,” Ms Palma said.
Killing kangaroos is illegal without a permit in Victoria.
“I have personally attended some of these cases and am deeply traumatized and troubled by what I have seen,” Ms Palma said.
Wildlife Victoria was called to the site again on Saturday 19 June after a local resident witnessed six deceased kangaroos in the driveway to the property.
The resident reported that one kangaroo was still alive but appeared to be too injured to move.
Upon arrival at the site, Wildlife Victoria’s lead vet, Dr Natasha Bassett could not find the injured kangaroo.
Victoria Police were requested to attend, as Dr Bassett needed to undertake a proper assessment of the injured animal.
Despite requests from Dr Bassett and Victoria Police for assistance in locating the injured kangaroo, the owner of the Heritage Golf and Country Club allegedly refused to co-operate.
Ms Palma said that Wildlife Victoria would be seeking a full investigation into recent kangaroo killings from the local council, Victoria Police and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
“Wildlife Victoria will be providing case files on all the incidents to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning,” she added.
“For any human being to deliberately inflict pain and death on an innocent animal is just horrific. It’s just sickening to know that a person or group of people are deliberately engaged in a sustained and lethal attack against these beautiful creatures,” she said.
Ms Palma said that she would be calling in professional psychological support for volunteers who had been exposed to the traumatic circumstances.
Member of Save the Kinley Kangas, Alyssa Wormald said the killings have caused “enormous distress” to the local community, describing the feeling as “like whiplash” after being led to believe the cull had been cancelled.
“There is extreme distress and frustration, it’s really traumatic to know this is happening and there isn’t much we can do. People are outraged and horrified,” she said.
*The Star Mail is not suggesting the killings were carried out by the Heritage Golf and Country Club staff, just that a number of kangaroos have been found dead and injured in recent weeks at the site.
