Kangaroos are revered in Australia. The lovable hopper appears with an emu on the country’s Commonwealth Coat of Arms, a 1912-era seal that identifies the authority of the government and its courts, and appears on Australian passports, government buildings and some 50-cent coins. Now, kangaroos are a problem in Australia -- populations have gone from 27 million in 2010 to 45 million in 2016, and ecologists are concerned. To help cull their numbers, they suggest Australians develop a taste for kangaroo, rather than let the meat go to waste.
Imagine eating bald eagles:
- A decade of wet conditions throughout Australia has fueled the population explosion. Humans also helped by eliminating several natural predators, such as the dog-like thylacine.
- There are twice as many kangaroos as people in Australia. Many Australian states have implemented controversial quotas and regulations for humane culling of the animals, but it’s been a hard sell.
- Proponents of kangaroo hunting say kangaroo meat is lower in fat than traditional beef, or other livestock. Their hides are good sources of leather.