A video of an officer with the Queensland Police in Australia has been sweeping the internet by heartwarming storm. The footage shows the officer pulling a baby kangaroo out of crocodile-filled floodwaters. At first, the little joey appeared terrified, but it soon settled down after realizing the cop was there to help. News 18 shared the story first.
The Queensland Police initially shared the video on their official Twitter account. The caption read: “Police rescued a baby kangaroo from floodwaters behind a residential community in Burketown yesterday. A helicopter pilot flew over at the time and spotted two very large crocs nearby – a timely reminder to stay out of floodwaters as you never know what is lurking beneath.”
Ammo Shortage Causing Australia’s Kangaroo Population Explode
It was reported back in the fall that ammunition shortages in Australia means that Kangaro populations are exploding to all-time highs. It’s a common practice down under for farmers to hire professional shooters to keep kangaroos from ransacking their crops. Robert Ellis is one of those hired guns, and he said in his more than a decade on the job he’s never seen an ammo shortage like this, or a population explosion of kangaroos like this.
“Before this, you could get whatever you wanted for under half the price,” he said. “But it’s hard to get anything now. Gun stores will get a big shipment and it’s gone within a couple of days. Everyone is trying to buy bulk, not just kangaroo shooters.” Ellis added that he had to drive more than 400 miles to buy ammo because of the shortage. Ellis also said he would be out hunting during a typical year every night, shooting approximately 70 kangaroos every evening.
“I’ve only shot for half the year because of the rain, and it can only take half an inch now, and you’re stuck [at home] for another week.”
Shooting Them Isn’t About Eradication, It’s About Moderation
An Australian farmer Mike Pratt he’s got about 10,000 kangaroos living on his 37,000-acre property. Red kangaroos are also the largest marsupial species. They stand up to six feet tall and can weigh up to 200 pounds. The animals are also insatiable eaters and can significantly alter precious environments. They voraciously consume vegetation usually reserved for other animals, such as sheep and cattle.
However, Pratt hopes to see the native animal population continue to thrive in this part of Australia. However, he stresses the importance that moderation is key. “We don’t want to completely remove the kangaroos, but you really have to keep a balanced population,” he said. “They’re entitled to be there. But they need to be managed for not only the benefit of the stock but for the benefit of their own survival.”
