Media Release: BOB IRWIN PLEADS WITH CHINA: DON’T EAT OUR KANGAROOS - COME AND SEE THEM

Bob Irwin, wildlife conservationist and father of the late Steve Irwin, is pleading with China and the world not to eat our kangaroos, but to come and see them. Bob Irwin claims that if China agrees to buy kangaroo meat it will push our kangaroos even closer to extinction, with Red Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Grey kangaroos already at critical minimum densities across most of Australia.

Alternatively, Bob says “We should be promoting our kangaroos for their touristic value. Kangaroos are worth billions of dollars to Australia annually in tourism. The kangaroo killing industry on the other hand is cruel, unhygenic, and unsustainable with kangaroo numbers now critical.”

Kangaroos are the second most recognised tourist icon in the world, and the second most popular attraction for international tourists. Research by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) showed that Australian wildlife, and in particular kangaroos are worth between $2.7 and $ 5 billion dollars annually to the Australian economy in tourism.

 

“The Chinese are one of our biggest visitors and kangaroos are one of their favourite attractions. If they were to start eating kangaroos, we predict that within a few years there wont be any left in the wild for them to see", says Bob.

Bob is pleading with China, Australia and the world to “Please consider how kangaroos are killed. If people could see what happens to baby joeys when their mother is killed by this industry, they would think twice about buying kangaroo meat and kangaroo leather shoes.”

“The current push to eat kangaroo meat is a fallacy. It takes 120 kangaroos to produce the same amount of meat you get from one cow. You would have to kill the entire kangaroo population many times over evey year to replace beef. Our kangaroos cannot even sustain the current level of killing by the industry”,  said Nikki Sutterby, Co-Ordinator, Australian Society for Kangaroos.
 

Bob makes his plea to China and the world, “Please stop and think before you purchase any kangaroo products (meat, leather etc), as you are not only supporting a disgusting industry but also contributing to the eventual extinction of an iconic species of Australian wildlife.”

Bobs final plea to China:  “We wouldn’t eat your pandas, so please don’t eat our kangaroos. Come and see them.”

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

NIKKI SUTTERBY
CO-ORDINATOR
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR KANGAROOS
PH 0417354408

FOR FOOTAGE OF BABY JOEYS BEING BASHED TO DEATH GO TO:
http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=Stop_Cruelty&wr_id=19&goto_url=

PLEASE VISIT THE SITES BELOW FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS MEDIA RELEASE:

http://www.rootourism.com/fback10.html

http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroo-tourism.html

http://www.australiansocietyforkangaroos.org/