The Outrage We Need Every Night
The story of the woman who took a baby wombat from its mother sparked national outrage—and rightly so. Her actions were shocking, cruel, and inexcusable.
The outrage over this woman’s actions sent her packing, back to where she came from. But where is this same outrage every night, when thousands of kangaroos are slaughtered, and their babies are bludgeoned to death or left to die alone?
At Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary, I’ve cared for joeys who are the victims of this brutality. Two of them were simply left to die. Their mothers were shot, their lives deemed disposable. People believe the kangaroo meat they eat is farmed and killed humanely. It is not. There is no such thing as humane kangaroo killing.
As Suzie Pulis from Waterholes Wildlife Sanctuary described after a shooting massacre which resulted in horrific injuries on a little girl, whom she named Anne. “The most cruel, callous, cold-blooded killing of her family took place 14 days ago (1-3-25) at a property in Jacks Track/Salmonds Rd Granite Rock, organised by the owner.” This helpless little joey, only about 22 months old, endured unimaginable pain after her family was slaughtered. The bullet shattered her lower jaw, her tongue severed, she was left unable to eat or drink properly. Found 14 days later, bloody and weak, she clung to life near a pond, trying to cool herself and survive on water and weeds.”
Suzie watched helplessly as the injured Anne, her jaw shattered and tongue severed, lowered her head into the pond. She let the water flow into her mouth, swallowing it alongside the pond weed—her only means of survival for 14 agonising days. This wasn’t an act of nature or an accident. This was deliberate. A calculated, cold-blooded act of cruelty that left this innocent animal in unimaginable pain, struggling to cling to life.
For two weeks, Anne endured a level of suffering no living being—animal or human—should ever face. Unable to eat properly, every attempt to swallow must have been excruciating. Her body weakened, her spirit battered, she sought solace in the water, trying to clean her wounds and find some semblance of relief. But there was no relief, only pain and desperation.
Where is the outrage? This wasn’t an unthinking act of stupidity as in the Wombat person. This was a deliberate, heartless act that inflicted prolonged suffering on a defenseless creature. The kangaroo’s pain was not hidden; it was visible, tangible, and utterly preventable. Yet, this kind of cruelty happens far too often, and it’s met with silence.
Where is the outrage for Suzie—someone who has dedicated their heart and soul to protecting wildlife—is forced to step in and witness such unimaginable suffering? A carer, who lives and breathes for kangaroos, is left to pick up the pieces of a heartless, deliberate act. For someone who loves these animals with every fibre of their being, seeing a beautiful, gentle creature endure such agony is like feeling the pain themselves. It’s not just the physical injuries inflicted on the kangaroo—it’s the emotional toll on the person who must end her suffering.
Imagine what it must be have been like for Suzie, to see an animal they love and respect reduced to this state of torment. To see her, bleeding and broken, unable to eat or drink, trying desperately to survive by drinking pond water and eating weeds to sustain herself for two long weeks. This wasn’t an act of mercy. This wasn’t a quick death. This was an act of calculated cruelty, leaving a sentient, feeling being to endure pain no one—animal or human—should ever endure.
And yet, it was Suzie who held Anne close, soothed her trembling body, and now carries the weight of her suffering in her heart. It was Suzie who must make the heartbreaking decision to end her pain because no one else will. Why should someone, who has spent their life protecting these animals, have to confront such horror? Why is the onus placed on someone who loves kangaroos to clean up after the cruelty and negligence of others?
This should never have happened. This poor girl should not have suffered in silence, and the burden of her suffering should never have fallen on someone who treasures her species. It’s not just about the pain of the kangaroo—it’s about the pain of a person who is forced to witness and take action because no one else cares enough to. Where is the outrage for them, too?
This cruelty must be met with the same fury, the same action, and the same demand for change that the world showed lesser crimes such as Sam Jones and the Wombat Enough is enough. This cannot be allowed to continue.
This is not just one story—it’s a reflection of a broader, systemic issue. Every night, kangaroos are shot, their babies bludgeoned or left to die, and their suffering is ignored. It’s time to channel the outrage we feel for this one wombat and Sam Jones into a movement that demands change. This cruelty must end. It’s not just about this one life—it’s about every life that suffers in silence, unseen and unheard. Let this story be the spark that ignites a fire for justice.
Suzie Pulis’s words echo the truth: “Kangaroos are massacred, babies bludgeoned to death or left alone. Their Mum is dead. They can’t yell out, scream for help, or cry. They have very limited vocalisations—a small nicker calling for their Mum, or a clucking sound from Mums calling for their babies.” In the dark of night, these babies are terrified, orphaned, and left to die of starvation or ripped apart by foxes or feral cats..
Her tongue blown off.
The wombat baby’s story is heartbreaking, but it pales in comparison to the cruelty kangaroos face every single day. This is not a comparison—it’s a call to action. All cruelty is wrong and should be treated as a serious crime. Yet, Australia allows this to happen. People are paid to kill kangaroos and rip their babies from their pouches, only to brutally end their lives.
It’s been five years since the bushfires, and animals are still recovering. In one small family of 20 kangaroos, only five survived after a deliberate killing spree. “There is no excuse for this killing. Nothing whatsoever to justify it,” Suzie Pulis wrote. And she’s right. These animals are well-known and loved by local residents, yet they are slaughtered without mercy.
In another incident reported by Kangaroo Alliance KANGAROO MOTHER’S HORRIFIC GUNSHOT WOUND as witnessed by Woodlands Wildlife Rescue. This Mumma had a gaping maggot-filled wound in her neck and a joey in her pouch that had starved to death. “ Looking at the wound closer, it was just devastating. I couldn’t even comprehend how she was even alive with that infected gaping hole in her chest, and it wasn’t fresh either. The wound was dry and overrun with maggots; their size indicated that they were at least 4-5 days old, minimum. She must have been in absolute agony. What made the situation even worse was the entry to her pouch. We knew she was carrying a joey, which we knew couldn’t possibly be alive. Her starving mum unable to produce the milk needed and with the damaged mouth it was obvious she’d been unable to maintain the health and cleanliness of the pouch. Her poor little girl would have starved to death.”
Shooters often claim they can achieve 100% accuracy on fast-moving targets, but this is simply not true. The chaos of the hunt, combined with the speed and agility of kangaroos, makes it impossible to guarantee a clean kill every time. The result is a trail of suffering and death that is both unnecessary and inhumane.
The injuries kangaroos sustain when shooters miss is nothing short of horrific. These animals, often targeted in the dark of night, endure unimaginable suffering when shots fail to kill them instantly. A poorly aimed bullet can shatter a kangaroo's jaw, leaving it unable to eat or drink. The animal is left to starve, its body wasting away as it struggles to survive.
In other cases, a missed shot might blow off a leg, leaving the kangaroo crippled and unable to move properly. The pain is excruciating, and the animal is left vulnerable to predators or a slow, agonising death. These injuries are not rare; they are a grim reality of the kangaroo shooting industry.
This is the reality that needs to be acknowledged. The cruelty inflicted on these animals is not just a byproduct of the industry—it is inherent to it. It’s time for this brutality to end.
Sanctioned by the very Government Departments tasked with the conservation of our wildlife, this barbarity continues unchecked. These same Departments collect licensing fees from shooters with one hand while claiming to conserve our native fauna with the other. The hypocrisy is staggering. They are complicit in the nightly horrors that unfold—shooters ripping defenseless joeys from their dead mothers’ pouches and bashing them to death against the side of a ute, where the evening’s slaughter hangs from butcher’s hooks. Why? Because these Departments know that joeys can’t survive alone and have deemed blunt force trauma a “suitable” and “humane” death.
Even more appalling is the law itself, which states that these joeys are not allowed to be kept alive and taken to carers. Imagine the cruelty of a system that denies these innocent, orphaned babies a chance at life. Instead of being given the care and love they so desperately need, they are condemned to death—brutally and without mercy. Their tiny, fragile bodies are discarded as if they are nothing, their lives deemed worthless by a system that prioritises money over compassion.
This is not humane. It is cruelty disguised as regulation, sanctioned by those who are meant to protect. How can we accept this as a nation? Where is the outrage? These acts are not isolated—they happen under the guise of government-endorsed practices, shielded by policies that turn a blind eye to the suffering. The joeys’ small, fragile bodies are cast aside as collateral damage, their lives deemed insignificant. This is deliberate. This is systematic. And this should enrage every single one of us.
The cruelty doesn’t stop with kangaroos. Brumbies, the majestic wild horses of Australia, suffer a similar fate. Aerial shooting targets these animals from moving helicopters, a practice riddled with inaccuracies. Bullets miss their mark, leaving brumbies with shattered legs, broken jaws, or fatal wounds that bleed out slowly. There is no one to check if they have died quickly or are left suffering. Foals, orphaned in the chaos, are left to the mercy of predators or to perish from hunger and exposure. This senseless killing is barbaric, and the lack of accountability is appalling.
Wombats, too, face unimaginable suffering. Their burrows are often destroyed to make land more suitable for agriculture. Bulldozers or explosives are used to collapse their homes, burying them alive in the process. These methods result in excruciating deaths, all in the name of convenience. Stronger protections are desperately needed to ensure wombats are treated humanely, as these practices are inhumane and unacceptable.
The wombat baby’s story is heartbreaking, but it pales in comparison to the cruelty kangaroos, brumbies, and wombats face every single day. This is not a comparison—it’s a call to action. All cruelty is wrong and should be treated as a serious crime. Yet, Australia allows this to happen. People are paid to kill kangaroos, rip their babies from their pouches, only to brutally end their lives. Wombats are buried alive for land development. Brumbies are left to bleed out or die in agony.
Our Prime Minister commented that Sam Jones should have picked up a baby crocodile instead. But instead of being flippant and directing outrage at one selfish act, why doesn’t he focus on doing his job—stopping the senseless and cruel slaughter of our wildlife across the country? Every night, kangaroos are massacred, wombats are buried alive, and brumbies are left to suffer and die. This is the reality of Australia’s treatment of its iconic wildlife. It’s time for leadership that prioritizes compassion and action over empty words.
The outrage over the wombat baby’s story was justified. But let that outrage echo every night for the kangaroos, brumby’s wombats and their babies and their joeys. Let it spark change. Let it save lives.
Micah, Marnie, Cherish and Millie. All joeys who had the mothers tragically killed by shooters and taken into care at Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary. Micah was saved by the shooter who called a carer, Marnie was left in her dead Mummy’s pouch, Cherish was taken into care by the shooter but later surrendered. Millie was left all alone after her Mumma was shot. Some kind neighbours had heard the shooting and found Millie.
The trauma inflicted on joeys who survive after their mothers are killed is profound and heartbreaking. These tiny, vulnerable beings are ripped from the warmth and safety of their mother’s pouch, thrust into a world of fear and confusion. They cry out softly, their small nickers searching for a mother who will never answer. The absence of her familiar heartbeat, her gentle clucking calls, leaves them lost and terrified. Many are left to fend for themselves, too young to understand the dangers around them. They endure hunger, cold nights, and the constant threat of predators. Even those lucky enough to be rescued carry the invisible scars of their loss—their trust shattered, their innocence stolen. The weight of survival rests heavily on their fragile shoulders, a burden no baby should ever have to bear.
Meet Micah HERE Meet Marnie HERE Meet Cherish HERE Meet Millie HERE