Advertisement

Brutal kangaroo massacre traumatises coastal town: 'Sad situation'

It was the second time in two years residents of the quiet beachside village had been faced with multiple kangaroos being run down by a car.

Residents are shocked after a mob of kangaroos were run down in the middle of a quiet street on the NSW South Coast.

People in a residential beach area of Batemans Bay reported hearing noises, while others said they discovered burnouts the next day. The hunt is now on for those responsible.

A local woman initially found just one dead kangaroo with a young, pink joey in its pouch on Sunday just before midnight and contacted wildlife volunteers from WIRES. Unsettled by the discovery, a wildlife rescuer decided to investigate further, shining his headlights along the dark street. Around 400 metres on he made an even more disturbing discovery.

Lying on the street at the top of the hill were three injured, adult kangaroos and one joey, taking the toll to six. Describing the situation as "disturbing", WIRES Mid South Coast Branch chairperson Janelle Renes told Yahoo News Australia the animals were writhing in pain with injuries that included snapped legs.

A quiet suburban street where the incident occurred. An inset of one dead kangaroo.
Four adult kangaroos and two joeys were killed by a driver at Batemans Bay. Source: WIRES

“Kangaroos never scream out, they’ll just kick out, or make a quiet sound when they’re in pain,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it easier for people to harm them — that they’re so silent.”

Images supplied by WIRES show the kangaroo bodies after they were moved onto the grass and sprayed with red crosses to indicate their pouches had been checked for babies. Volunteers are concerned there may be other injured kangaroos who fled to the bush and are slowly dying from infection.

Rescuers traumatised by another attack on kangaroos

The incident brings back memories of a separate incident in 2021 when 14 kangaroos were run down in the Batemans Bay region, despite much of the state being locked down at the time due to the pandemic. Those responsible were caught and faced court, and there is no indication the incidents, both at Long Beach, are related.

“It’s like deja vu. It’s a sad situation when people think it’s fun to mow down kangaroos,” Ms Renes said. “It’s very traumatising for the rescuers because we do everything we can to save wildlife, and then this happens.”

Three other dead kangaroos and the dead joey lying on the grass.
Rescuers moved the bodies of the adult kangaroos and their joeys onto the nature strip after they were found at Blairs Rd, Long Beach. Source: WIRES

Ms Renes said it is common for animal rescue groups to lose volunteers because they are disturbed by the carnage other humans inflict on wildlife. “We had a lady join recently, but she contacted us and said, 'Sorry, can’t do it. There’s too much dying'.”

Police believe Sunday's incident occurred on Blairs Rd, Long Beach on Sunday between 6:30pm and 10:00pm. A spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia inquiries are continuing.

Wildlife crime in the area can be reported to Batemans Bay Police Station on (02) 4472 0099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.