Distressed Kangaroo Used to Promote Australia
This is how Tourism Australia is selling our country to the world:
Less than three weeks after the Herald Sun revealed the shocking treatment of Rocky the red kangaroo in a Texas circus, these disturbing images and video footage have emerged.
Filmed by New Zealand expat Kylie Mackenzie, the images show a kangaroo on display in Beverly Hills in January as part of the "G'day USA" marketing campaign.
Ms Mackenzie said she was horrified to see the kangaroo kept for hours on end in such an unnatural environment, with barely a bucketful of straw covering the concrete pavement.
"I just couldn't believe that this is how they were trying to promote Australia," she said.
But Tourism Australia saw nothing wrong with the stunt.
"When you are doing things with Australia, people - particularly children - are really interested in seeing animals," spokeswoman Rachel Crowley said.
She said the kangaroo came from a reputable Los Angeles animal handler and was on display for four hours at a time.
Ms Mackenzie said Humane America, the US equivalent of Australia's RSPCA, was not concerned by the footage.
"Their view was that it wasn't (in distress) and that when it did a bit of rocking it was just maybe a bit of boredom," she said.
Australian Reptile Park animal expert Tim Faulkner said it was clear the kangaroo was not acting normally.
"The animal is obviously distressed, there is no question about it," he said.
"The sort of stress I see here suggests it has endured long-term problems."
Animal Liberation spokeswoman Angie Stephenson said the noise of a busy city street and the confinement of a small cage were highly unsuitable for a kangaroo.
"Kangaroos live in mobs and they have a tight-knit family group," she said.
"For this kangaroo to be standing there swaying probably means it either has mental health problems from being in captivity for so long or may have been sedated.
"It's tragic they are using them like this to promote Australia and tourism."
Tourism Australia said it was working on a policy governing the use of animals in promotions.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au
We abuse kangaroos in our own country by slaughtering them en masse and we abuse them abroad as well. Not good enough is it?
Tags: Animal Rights News
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