Kangaroo harvesting

Written By Nicole Mulholland

what is kangaroo harvesting and why we choose to stock kangaroo products.

Did you know that kangaroos are not farmed in Australia? They live in their natural habitat’s & are sourced (known as harvesting) by skilled, qualified shooters to be sold domestically & internationally.

Commercial harvesting is a program permitted in 6 of the 8 states in areas with high a kangaroo population. So why do they harvest roo’s?

  • To reduce stress on agricultural land & maintain Australia’s rich biodiversity.

  • Without this commercial harvest in place, harvesting would still take place & could result in poorer animal welfare outcomes.

What could happen without commercial harvesting practises in place?

  • The roo population would rise & fall with seasonal conditions. If the populations became too large, many could die of starvation.

  • The roo’s could also overgraze, which can lead to a loss in biodiversity.

  • An uncontrolled population can restrict farmers capacity to set aside pasture for their stock during drought conditions.

What is the difference between commercial & non-commercial harvesting?

The commercial industry harvests kangaroos for commercial purposes whereas the non-commercial industry harvests kangaroos for reasons such as to protect agricultural land, recreational purposes or for science. Both commercial and non-commercial harvesting are regulated, but the standards for the commercial industry are much higher.

How is the population measured?

There are 50 different species of kangaroo & wallaby in Australia. Four of these kangaroo species & two wallaby species are commercially harvested. Around 15% of a 40 million population are harvested each year by the commercial industry.

How crazy are these numbers?!

How is animal welfare guaranteed in the harvesting process?

They are harvested by skilled, qualified shooters who must pass a proficiency test every five years to prove they can meet the animal welfare, food safety and meat processing requirements of Australia and export markets. Mandatory licensing and tagging systems as well as regular government inspections mean every kangaroo harvested for the commercial industry was done so humanely in line with the National Code of Practice and the Australian Standard for the hygienic production of wild game meat for human consumption.

How much of the kangaroo is used for human consumption?

Each kangaroo on average produces around 12kg of meat for human consumption, plus the skin & fur that is used for leather products.

As you can imagine, this leaves a large portion of the roo to waste. And that’s where the dog treat industry can come into play. And this is one of the many reasons why we choose to stock a large range of kangaroo products for your fur babies.

how do you know the meat is safe to eat?

The commercial industry is highly regulated & monitored. Harvesters must comply with the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Game Meat for Human Consumption.

Compliance against the regulations is monitored by state government authorities. Every kangaroo processed for human consumption meat is inspected by a government licensed meat inspector to ensure it is healthy and hygienic.

In addition, the final product is subject to micro-biological monitoring to ensure it meets government standards for safety.

What are the nutritional values of roo?

Roo is an excellent protein for your pup, and here’s why:

  • Very high in iron & protein

  • Only 2% fat

  • High levels of B vitamins, particularly B12

  • Contains all 10 essential amino acids

What roo products do we stock?

As you have probably heard me bang on about before, one of my biggest goals with HHT is to support the nose to tail ethos. If an animal has to die for human consumption then we should be using as much of it as possible.

While our stock is every changing, we will always stock a large range of roo by-products ranging from organs such as liver & heart, to furry treats like ears & tail pieces, to bones & other off cuts.

Check out our current favourite roo products HERE!

Nicole Mulholland
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