"Australia begins killing of kangaroos" by Associated Press | May 9, 2009
CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's army has started shooting 6,000 kangaroos to thin their population on an army training ground near the capital, an official said yesterday, outraging conservationists who have vowed to protest.
When it comes to life and death, you see which side government lines up on, right?
The killings are intended to protect endangered plants and insects that share the grassy habitat with the kangaroos. A much smaller slaughter of 400 kangaroos on another Defense Department site in Canberra last year was disrupted by protesters.
Civilian marksmen contracted by the department began shooting the kangaroos on Tuesday night at Defense's Majura Training Area, where an estimated 9,000 of the wild marsupials roam, Army Brigadier Brian Dawson told reporters.
"The culling is intended to reduce the kangaroo population to sustainable levels," Dawson said, describing the action as that of a "responsible landowner."--more--"
Sometimes I wish the animals would adopt the same attitude. I think they made a movie about that once.
Of course, they try in their own way:
"Chemicals to be used against Asian beetle
Federal officials will start using pesticides in their battle against the invasive Asian longhorned beetle next year. A spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture told The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester that the agency will chemically treat trees susceptible to the insect starting in the spring of 2010, when specialists get a better idea of the extent of the infestation (AP)."
Of course, those chemicals won't affect the human population at all, right, government? If they did, do you think they would tell us?
Related: Battling the Asian Beetle in New England
At least there is some positive on the life side:
"Right whale births break record
Right whales gave birth to a record 39 calves this spring, the New England Aquarium said. Aquarium officials said yesterday that the number of births breaks the old record of 31 and shows much improvement from 2000, when only one calf was born. Each birthing season is important, because right whales number fewer than 400 and are among the most endangered whales in the world (AP)."
Related: Right Whale Righting Itself
NOAA Takes Wrong Turn on Right Whale
