The father of the late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin has asked the Chinese people not to eat kangaroo meat because it could put huge numbers of kangaroos at risk.
(we notice he didn't tell them the risk of eating it)
Bob Irwin made the plea from his home in Australia, urging China not to start importing kangaroo meat.
Bob Irwin made the plea from his home in Australia, urging China not to start importing kangaroo meat.
Russia recently stopped kangaroo meat imports, after being the main market for the kangaroo trade for many years.
Moscow only banned kangaroo meat imports because of concerns of bacterial contamination.
Australian producers now expect to start exporting to China in the first half of next year.
Bob Irwin has other kangaroo worries, whose late son Steve was known internationally as the Crocodile Hunter, thinks that Australia's kangaroos are vulnerable to large scale imports from China.
Official estimates suggest there are 25 million kangaroos across Australia, 15 percent of the kangaroo population are killed off each year. Regardless, Mr. Irwin thinks the Chinese will totally wipe out the population.
Moscow only banned kangaroo meat imports because of concerns of bacterial contamination.
Kangaroos can harbor a wide range of parasitic, bacterial, fungal and viral diseases and the majority of infections are unapparent, animals will most likely will appear normal.
The incidence of Toxoplasma bacterial contamination is amongst the highest in Australia.
The concern is that recommended cooking methods which will not kill this parasite.
A newly identified worm thought to be derived from marsupials was found to be responsible for acute illness in two humans. Like Trichinella they invade muscles. The worms are thought to belong to a class of nematodes known as Muscpiceoids.
Bob Irwin has other kangaroo worries, whose late son Steve was known internationally as the Crocodile Hunter, thinks that Australia's kangaroos are vulnerable to large scale imports from China.
Official estimates suggest there are 25 million kangaroos across Australia, 15 percent of the kangaroo population are killed off each year. Regardless, Mr. Irwin thinks the Chinese will totally wipe out the population.
