This post is to say a final farewell to a friend, not an especially close friend, but a friend just the same. Her name was Sally.

Sally had a rather tumultuous life. When she was only 10 months her mother was killed by a hit and run driver. Left to die on the side of the road. I can only imagine her Mothers physical pain, but I cannot imagine the feeling of helplessness, the pain she must have felt for her daughter, as she lay watching and waiting to die.

Years later lightning struck my friend once again as Sally was hit by a vehicle whilst crossing a road and was left with severe bruising a few cuts but, luckily, nothing broken.

As time went by Sally, now a single Mum, struggled to provide for her little one. Of course the Government threw some money her way on occasion but for the most part she was left to her own devices.

During one particular period of hardship she became – let’s say an “opportunistic forager”. Forced by her circumstance to take whatever advantage came her way. Sally “came across” some carrots and figured that they looked and smelt perfectly fine so why not utilise this “gift”. But after eating just part of one she began feeling ill.

It turned out that the carrots were poisoned.

For days, as friends and her son looked on, the poison wreaked havoc on her body. She was all hunched up appearing non-alert, limbs shaking and an unsteady balance. On occasion exuding a small amount of white froth from her mouth. The tissue damage on her unborn foetus was too great and she miscarried. Death was at her door but she was a fighter and managed to pull through.

Last year whilst visiting a park with her son she was set upon by a dog that was off the leash and out of control by it’s owner. She managed to get away but was left with facial cuts and, naturally, a fear of dogs.

And finally in a tragic case of possible “mistaken identity” or just outright ignorance, Sally was shot and killed by an unknown offender. The authorities are not willing to look into the matter any further as there are apparently “no leads” and that they “…do not have the resources to continue with the investigation”

Now I know there are a lot of people that would agree that the Government hands out so many mixed messages on situations such as this and that perhaps she put herself into some of these situations, but surely even people with the coldest of hearts must think this is too much for anyone to have had to put up with and it was certainly no way to have died.

I hope her son has a better life and I, for one, will be trying to ensure his future is not as bleak.

Sally was an Eastern Grey Kangaroo. The carrots were laced with 1080(sodium monofluroacetate) bait^[1]. It is a cruel and indiscriminate poison used to “remove” unwanted populations of animals. Banned in most countries, 1080 poison is still used liberally throughout Australia to control so-called “pest” species, and reduce “browsing damage” caused by native animals on private land. 1080 poison is a slow killer. When ingested (usually through baited food) the animal suffers a prolonged and horrific death. Herbivores take the longest to die – up to 44hrs before finally succumbing to the final effects of the poison. The speed of death is dependent on the rate of the animals metabolism.
Eastern Grey kangaroos are protected animals and it is an offence to injure or kill them.^[2]
The shot that killed her could have come from anyone with a gun, her body was left where it fell. The New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage will not investigate shootings of Kangaroos despite their protected status. In most cases they will not even take a report.
Although Sally’s story is fiction the different experiences in her story are ones that Kangaroos face each and every day. I encourage everyone to read up on the destructive nature of 1080 bait^[3] and find a local campaign to Ban 1080 Bait

[1] 1080 Bait – https://www.wlpa.org/1080_poison.htm
[2] Eastern Grey kangaroos are protected animals. – https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/Livingwithkangaroos.htm
[3] 1080 Bait More Information – https://animal-lib.org.au/campaigns/culling-and-pest-control/feral-animals-2