Almost 2000 kangaroos will be culled in the ACT this year as the operation was decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Kangaroo culling has been undertaken annually in Canberra for a decade, however there was uncertainty whether it would go ahead in the wake of bushfires that devastated Namadgi National Park.
ACT Parks and Conservation aim to cull 1958 Eastern Grey kangaroos this year, down from the 2019 record cull of 4035.
ACT Parks and Conservation service director Justin Foley said bushfires had not impacted the program, which focused on suburban reserves, but rather coronavirus and years of dry conditions had.
"The bushfires haven't necessarily impacted the program, the significant impact on the scale of the program this year has been the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
"There is a limit to the number of people we can have in the vehicle, there's a limit to how close people can be during the operation."
"We'll be slower and we won't be able to put as many people into the cull program as we would in the past."
Nine Canberra nature reserves with be closed in the evenings from June 15 as the operation gets underway but bushfire affected Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve will not be included.
Mr Foley said culling was vital for delicate eco-systems still recovering from years of dry conditions.
"Research demonstrates that overgrazing by kangaroos, particularly in critical conservation areas, can threaten the survival of local grassland sites and species," he said.
"Although the grass is green due to recent rain, the ecosystem is still fragile.
"The animals that rely on the grasses for food, shelter and breeding purposes, including several endangered species, are still recovering from extended hot and dry conditions."
He said predators such as dingoes had been removed from Canberra's suburban nature parks and culling was required to balance the ecosystem.
The reserves included in the cull are Mulligans Flat, Isaacs Ridge, Mt Mugga Mugga, Crace Grasslands, Gungaderra Grasslands, Mulanggari Grasslands, Goorooyaroo, West Jerrabomberra and Callum Brae Nature Reserve.
Visitation to these reserves has jumped throughout the pandemic but Mr Foley did not expect the community to be impacted by the program.
"We will make sure there is signage so people understand what the closure arrangements are," he said.
The parks will be closed in the evenings from Sunday to Thursday until the expected completion on August 1 but will remain open throughout the day.
He said kangaroo culls in the ACT followed a strict protocol to ensure they were conducted humanely.
"Nobody likes shooting kangaroos, however we accept it's the most humane method of kangaroo population management available to the ACT Government as a responsible land manager," he said.
"To help improve public safety and detect illegal activity, warning signs will be placed at all entry points to the reserves, surveillance cameras used and reserves patrolled by Parks and Conservation Service staff during culling operations."