THREE years after concerns were raised about hundreds of kangaroos trapped on a Cape Schanck property, animal welfare advocates have ramped up their campaign to educate communities about kangaroos and the importance of protecting them.
The Save Kangaroos on the Mornington Peninsula (SKOMP) group is running a series of kangaroo “walks and talks” around the peninsula and other parts of Victoria to educate people on how to coexist with the native animals and the “national icon”.
Spokesperson Craig Thomson said it was appalling that the kangaroos on the Cape Schanck property were still stuck behind fencing, with wildlife advocates unable to check on their welfare. After extensive campaigning and assistance from Mornington Peninsula Shire, one-way gates were installed along the fence in 2022 to allow kangaroos to return to Greens Bush national park, but many of the animals remain trapped.
Thomson said SKOMP’s intent was to raise the profile of kangaroos in the hope of changing the conversation from harming them to respecting and protecting them. He also said there were “promising” ongoing talks with internationally recognised animal welfare groups Vets for Compassion and Animals Australia about developing a plan acceptable to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to safely redirect the remaining kangaroo back into the national park.
SKMOP’S next walk and talk session is this Saturday (8 June) at 4.30pm. Seawinds Gardens, Arthurs Seat State Park, Purves Road. Arthurs Seat. Go to penkangaroo@gmail.com
First published in the Mornington News – 4th June 2024
