GLOBALLY, people associate the kangaroo with the very essence of what it means to be Australian.
Alongside the emu it stands as our national emblem.
But it has an image problem at home.
Vehicle repair bills, broken fences and increased insurance premiums take centre place in people’s concerns about the humble ‘roo.
It is our pursuit of economic growth via agriculture and the taming of the country’s interior that has influenced both how the kangaroo is perceived and its prevalence.
Watering points and crops to serve introduced animals have also served kangaroo numbers, so much so that some “experts” and others suggest there are more kangaroos now than when white men first arrived in Australia. The opportunistic nature of our native animals has caused their numbers to flourish in a country brimming with new possibilities.
And yet, even as their numbers increase incrementally, they are not farmed.
Are there any prospects in the animal kingdom more logical to farm, or to simply harvest, in Australia, than the kangaroo?
While farmers lament broken fences to contain imported animals, a fine source of protein simply hops about breeding in ever increasing numbers.
Surely, given the inventive and resourceful nature of Australian farmers it is time to take a long, hard look at what is now perceived as a problem species?
Kangaroo numbers currently seem too great and some landholders support a cull. Can this cull be used to our advantage while paring the population back?
Be it pet food or meat for human consumption, a healthy kangaroo population regularly harvested would surely benefit both Australia’s international standing and economic performance.
It is time for a rethink of our national emblem and the poor regard in which it is held.
Can we create a new industry from what is currently considered a protected pest whose numbers swell and ebb according to the season?
Can the tape worm and fleas that dog kangaroos be controlled for a humane and economically beneficial solution to what now presents itself as a problem?
The Land invites debate of the matter.
How do we solve our kangaroos’ domestic image problem, turn history on its head and benefit from our dilemma?