Kangaroos at Risk - Hanya Awan

Although Kangaroos are not the most endangered mammal, there are various sources that indicate great risk that is influencing their lifestyle and breeding. Out of all the major threats that are currently putting kangaroos at risk such as wildfires, droughts and malnutrition, the two factors that are the most harmful right now are hunting and habitat loss. Many kangaroos that live in packs or large groups/families are used to a huge range of land that is accessible for them to use and live in. However, over the past decade due to industrial construction and logging, many of these areas have been restricted to animals and have been taken away from kangaroos. Moreover, many forests are burning down because of natural fires, the result of which has been not only causing severe and long-term injuries to kangaroos but also destroying their habitat forever because most of the forests in Australia have been burned to a permanent extent. In which not even the trunk of the trees remains standing on the ground but has been burned all the way through and has damaged their hideouts, breeding areas and food sources. In recent years, hunting has taken a toll on kangaroos. For goods and imports, Australia is usually hunted for four species and breeds, including the eastern grey, western grey, common wallaroo, and the red kangaroo, Australia's largest treasure and largest marsupial. According to the Kangaroos Footprints Source, roughly over 4 million kangaroos are killed for profit each year, which is estimated to be 10,000 kangaroos killed each year. In the Australian bush, most kangaroos are killed at night, and many joeys are pulled out of their pouches when being shot by a hunter, and the joey is also killed. Despite some cases where hunters do not kill the joey but only the mother, it is unlikely for the joey to lead a free and sustainable life since the joeys need their mothers for survival, so they often run away in fright when their mother is shot and left to die alone or caught by a predator. There are laws that restrict hunters from selling kangaroo skins and fur for profit, but it doesn't stop hunters from hunting kangaroos for their own entertainment and for sport. International studies indicate that Australia is the only continent in the world with the most endangered species, which includes not only kangaroos, but koalas, reptiles, and foxes.

95% of Australia's kangaroos are endangered or in danger due to various factors that could contribute to their inability to live a happy and free life as they were anticipating. The government could come up with laws and form firmer restrictions on hunting and kangaroo harvesting if people contribute to it so that the number that is dropping each year will decrease until there is a stable number which will prevent their habitat from deterioration. Even when hunting is banned, there is still a high chance of kangaroos still being at risk because of the extreme habitat loss that is taking place due to wildfires, construction sites, and industrial logging. The habitats are not only extremely significant to empower their freedom and living range, but also let them hide and sleep during the night due to predators that come and hunt them. There is a likelihood that even if the trees within the kangaroos' range are no longer supporting kangaroos and are not visible, there will still be an impact on their survival as dogs are the primary predator that hunts and kills kangaroos. Thus, populations of kangaroos have been impacted by increasing numbers of neighbourhoods, streets, and public sites, as well as hunting, causing many deaths each year, which will result in kangaroos being highly extinct after several years of this continuation.

Works Cited

“Kangaroo Facts and Photos.” Animals, 1 Mar. 2014,

kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/kangaroo.

“Tree Kangaroo.” Wwf.panda.org,

wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/tree_kangaroo/#:~:text=Th e%20major%20threats%20facing%20tree.

Vernes, Karl. “Yes, Kangaroos Are Endangered – but Not the Species You Think.” The Conversation,

theconversation.com/yes-kangaroos-are-endangered-but-not-the-species-you-think-93203 . Accessed 5 Jan. 2022.