For many Australians, the kangaroo is a national icon—a symbol of our unique wildlife and rugged landscape. So, it’s no surprise that the sale of kangaroo products—especially hides and novelty items—sparks heated debate.
This time, animal welfare advocates and shoppers alike were left ‘angered and shocked’ by BIG W’s apparent backflip, especially after the company had publicly promised to stop selling them.
Now, the retailer—owned by the Woolworths Group—has found itself in hot water after quietly reintroducing a product that has long been a lightning rod for controversy: kangaroo hides.
Just a year after bowing to public pressure and pulling these items from shelves, BIG W was spotted once again advertising extra-large and small kangaroo pelts online, priced at $122.95 and $79.95 respectively.
A backflip that’s left many fuming
The reappearance of kangaroo pelts on BIG W’s website was first noticed by eagle-eyed shoppers and wildlife advocates. This came as a shock, given that in April 2024, BIG W had assured the public it had ‘removed [the product] from sale’ in response to customer feedback.
Alyssa Wormald, founder of the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance, didn’t mince words, calling the move ‘appallingly underhanded’ and accusing the retailer of sneaking the products back onto the market when they thought no one was watching.
‘It’s worse than just the hides,’ Wormald added. ‘They sell a huge variety of kangaroo meat, kangaroo leather accessories, and the shamefully revolting ‘novelty’ kangaroo scrotum coin pouches.’
Online only—but does that make it better?
It’s worth noting that these controversial products were only available online, and only through third-party sellers—not in BIG W’s physical stores.
But does this absolve them of responsibility? Many would argue not, especially when the products in question are so divisive.
When pressed for comment by Yahoo News, Woolworths Group didn’t respond to questions about why the listings had returned or what scrutiny is applied to third-party products.
By the next day, the pelts had disappeared from the website again, but other kangaroo-derived items—like ‘genuine kangaroo scrotums’ and pet food—remained.
The bigger picture: Kangaroo products in Australia
Kangaroo products are nothing new in Australia. Kangaroo meat is sold in supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths, both for human consumption and as a cheap protein source in pet food.
The sale of skins and leather is a valuable part of the industry, with advocates arguing that kangaroo leather is more sustainable than that from farmed livestock like cows, goats, and sheep.
Kangaroos, after all, are native to Australia and have evolved to tread lightly on our fragile soils, unlike cloven-hoofed imports.
But the industry is not without its critics. Wildlife advocates have long raised concerns about the way kangaroos are harvested—shot at night in paddocks, often with little oversight.
The fate of joeys (baby kangaroos) is particularly distressing: when their mothers are shot, joeys are typically bludgeoned to death and discarded, a practice that’s hard to reconcile with modern animal welfare standards.
International backlash and changing tides
Australia’s approach to kangaroo products is increasingly out of step with international trends. In the US, kangaroo leather is banned in California, and major sportswear brands like Nike, Puma, New Balance, Adidas, and Asics have all recently ditched kangaroo leather in favour of synthetic alternatives.
This shift has been driven by sustained campaigns from animal welfare groups and changing consumer attitudes.
Yet here at home, the debate rages on. Industry groups like the Australian Wild Game Industry Council maintain that kangaroo harvesting is sustainable and that shooters are trained to minimise suffering.
They also point to scientific research guiding the euthanasia of orphaned joeys. But for many Australians, the ethical questions remain unresolved.
The sale of kangaroo products continues to prompt varied opinions across Australia, reflecting the complexity of balancing cultural, environmental, and ethical considerations.
What do you think about BIG W’s decision to reintroduce kangaroo hides? How do you view the sustainability and animal welfare aspects of the kangaroo industry? What role should retailers play in responding to consumer concerns? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also read: Kangaroos rescued from open water channel in central Victoria as rescuers call for roo-proof fence
Selling kangaroo products should be banned, why kill a national symbol of Australia, and killing joey’s is just barbaric
How UNAUSTRALIAN is this? Shooting mothers and then killing their young without any care.
Kangaroos, just like a number of other wild animals, within Australia, need to be culled to maintain their numbers at a level that is sustainable. A couple of these animals are Brumbies and Camels (which are exported to the Middle East).
Kangaroos represent a truly sustainable resource that all Australians should embrace. The meat is a very lean and therefore a healthy choice and people should include that in their regular diet.
The leather is a better leather for footwear than sheep or cattle as it breathes better and is stronger both along and across the grain. The opposition to it from foreign activists shows how devoid of intelligence and knowledge many of them are.
Any body who has spent real time in our bush knows that they are a truly self sustaining animal that can survive and thrive when times are tough.
Be proud of wearing and eating kangaroo as it could be said to give a person a greater affinity with our “First Nations” peoples.