Trouble in Paradise

Seventh Kangaroo Killed in Whitsunday Paradise Estate

By Chelsea Ravizza

Residents of the Whitsunday Paradise Estate have raised concerns after another kangaroo was killed along Fairway Drive.

Just last week, the community discovered the seventh kangaroo killed by a negligent motorist on the side of the busy entryway, sharing the heartbreaking news on the estate’s private residential community page.

Whitsunday Paradise was first founded in 2005 under the title of Whitsunday Shores and was initially established to hold approximately 300 residential lots on just over seven hectares of rural zoned coastal reserve. In the past two decades, the estate has changed hands, and developmental plans have shifted, leaving the true number of constructed homes and locals living in the area to be significantly less than originally anticipated.

As a result, the community has become quite closeknit, leaving residents with the worrying thought of their fellow neighbours committing such a terrible act.

In one incident reported last week, a resident discovered a deceased kangaroo surrounded by tyre tracks after a vehicle mounted the kerb from Fairway Drive to deliberately hit and kill the protected animal. The community has since banded together in an attempt to deter the violent motorist, calling for those with road-facing security cameras to come forward.

In Queensland, kangaroos are protected native animals and it’s generally illegal and considered a serious offence to kill, harm or injure the marsupials without a legal exemption or licence. A deliberate act against a kangaroo carries significant penalties ranging from substantial fines exceeding $23,000 to serious animal cruelty charges under Section 242 of the Criminal Code Act where the maximum penalty entails seven years of imprisonment.

If you see an injured or deceased kangaroo, you must first check its pouch for a joey and then call the Fauna Rescue Whitsundays hotline on 4947 3389.

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The private residential estate sits approximately 8 kilometers south of Bowen. Photo source: Planit Consulting

Well over 20 million kangaroos live across Queensland. Photo credit: Milosz Maslanka

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