- The Australian Government has earmarked 4.4 million kangaroos for slaughter in 2004 alone. They are shot at night in the vast outback, away from public scrutiny.

- 64% of visitors to Australia associate the kangaroo with the image of that country.

- The kangaroo ‘cull’ figure does not include the hundreds of thousands of baby ‘joey’ kangaroos that are always killed after their mothers are shot. The Australian Government advocates clubbing, decapitating or shooting joeys.

- 42% of visitors to Australia wanted to see kangaroos.

- At least 100,000 adult kangaroos each year are not killed ‘humanely’, according to a recent RSPCA report. Hunters are supposed to shoot kangaroos once in the head, but frequently this does not happen and the animals may be shot in the throat, the neck, or have their jaws blown off.

- 19.9% of visitors said the thing they most enjoyed seeing was kangaroos

- Six species of kangaroo are already extinct, with four more species listed as endangered or vulnerable. Red kangaroos are particularly at risk. They are now being killed at a rate three times higher than they are reproducing. In the 1960s their average was 12, today it is two.

- 16.9% of visitors were influenced to come to Australia specifically by native animals

Tell the Australian Government and the tourism industry why you won’t even consider visiting their unique and beautiful country whilst they continue to butcher their wildlife here.

Want to find out more? You can read online Viva!'s shocking and persuasive report on the killing of kangaroos for meat and skin in Under Fire.