UP to 3200 kangaroos are likely to be culled across the ACT after claims by the Australian Defence Department that the marsupials have become a serious environmental problem and a pest.
Under the proposal that has outraged local wildlife and conservation groups, professional shooters are expected to cull 2800 eastern grey kangaroos from Defence's Majura Training Area and 400 from the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station, where the marsupials are claimed to be causing ecological havoc.
The estimated population of eastern greys at the Belconnen site is more than 500 while there are about 6000 kangaroos at Majura, according to Defence.
The ACT Government, which supplied the culling figures to the Canberra Sunday Times yesterday, is ready to issue a licence to Defence for trained shooters to eradicate the plague kangaroos in about "two or three days". The carcasses will be buried in a giant pit on Commonwealth land.
But wildlife groups vowed last night to mount a physical campaign to stop the proposed cull, saying it was violent and cruel.
"There is not a kangaroo problem culling is extremely cruel perhaps sterilisation the way to go," Wildlife Carers Group president Nora Preston said.
In preparation for the cull, Defence engaged consultant ecologists in March this year to provide expert advice on sustainably managing kangaroo numbers which have swollen at the sites despite the prolonged drought and the lack of feed.
The ACT's acting conservator, Russell Watkinson, said kangaroo numbers had hit unsustainable levels and if action was not taken, they were likely to starve.
"They don't not having enough food on areas that contain rare and threatened species," Mr Watkinson said.
He said Defence had submitted a detailed report to justify the need for the cull.
"We're expecting a decision to be made this week my expectation is that the licence will be given the [culling] process will take two or three days."
Email correspondence from a senior Defence secretary leaked to the Canberra Sunday Times says the department had recognised its responsibility to humanely manage "overabundant kangaroo populations" to maintain their welfare and important ecologies.
Deputy secretary of defence support Martin Bowles said, "Kangaroos have become a serious environmental problem on Defence sites in the ACT, requiring measures to reduce overpopulation."
"Defence has commenced consultation with some environmental and animal welfare groups and will continue talking with key stakeholders in the coming weeks.
"Defence has considered a number of options to manage the overabundant kangaroo populations and reduce them to sustainable levels."
A major push for a kangaroo cull has resulted from the marsupials stripping native grasses which could impact on threatened species including the grassland earless dragon, striped legless lizard and gold sun moth.
"The impacts include a lack of feed for kangaroos, lack of grass cover leading to exposure of soil to erosion and an increase in weed infestations," Mr Bowles said.
However, a Defence spokesperson said no firm dates for the reduction had been set and the department was still in the process of consultation.
"The fertility program is currently active as a part of an ongoing long-term strategy to maintain a sustainable population of kangaroos this program is independent to the immediate issue of the kangaroo population density exceeding sustainable levels," the spokesperson said.
The ACT Government said kangaroo culling licence applicants were required to meet criteria of humaneness, efficacy and necessity, principles endorsed by the RSPCA.
Mr Watkinson said he was unsure of the weapons to be used by the trained shooters, who must complete a rigorous test by the AFP every two years.
The ACT Liberals said they had no objection to the cull, providing it was conducted within appropriate guidelines.
Opposition environment spokesman Richard Mulcahy supported the cull as long as it was done humanely in accordance with specific controls and in consultation with territory conservation management practices.