Australia’s leading animal protection organisation, Animals Australia, has welcomed the announcement by Nike, one of the best-known brands in the world, that it will stop using kangaroo skins for its Nike Tiempo and all other shoes in 2023.
Nike announced in a statement it would debut a new Tiempo Legend Elite made without kangaroo skin – a turnaround for the company’s primary soccer shoe.
The statement also confirmed that Nike will stop making any product with kangaroo leather in 2023.
Animals Australia said this action, following a similar announcement from Puma two weeks ago, means that two of the biggest buyers of kangaroo skins were “getting out of the business of financing the largest slaughter of terrestrial wildlife in the world“.
A campaign to encourage sporting brands to choose more humane alternatives has been spearheaded by the animal protection organisation, Centre for a Humane Economy in the US, through its kangaroos are not shoes campaign.
Animals Australia spokesperson on wildlife Louise Bonomi said the news was a stark wake up call for the Australian government.
“At a time when politicians and corporations on the other side of the world are cutting their ties with the cruel kangaroo slaughter industry – the Australian government is continuing to allow wildlife to be shot and exported by the millions,” Ms Bonomi said.
“And it’s even more concerning that we are seeing some state governments raising annual kill quotas at the same time that corporations and legislators are clearly wanting to disassociate their brands and laws with the cruelty of this deadly wildlife trade.
“Few people here in Australia let alone abroad, realise that our national icon is the target of a widespread and cruel commercial shooting industry, a largely self-regulated industry that fails to protect kangaroos or their joeys from suffering.
“Instead, Australia’s inadequate laws allow joeys to be bludgeoned or decapitated when their mothers are shot and killed.
“Both wounded adults and orphaned joeys often flee shooters and die slowly from predation, exposure, or starvation.
“There are currently no laws that protect female kangaroos from being targeted and killed by the commercial industry, nor are there uniform requirements across the country for shooters to document joeys killed.
“We are heartened to see states like California already taking a stance against the cruel trade, with five other US states following suit with bills introduced to ban the import of kangaroo products.
“And we hope that the proposed Kangaroo Protection Act introduced to US congress to prohibit the sale of kangaroo products, will continue to gain support, too.”
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Centre for a Humane Economy, said commercial killing was reckless and inhumane by any measure.
“Animals Australia is a strong partner with the Centre for a Humane Economy in calling on corporations throughout the world to stop financing the mass killing of wild kangaroos, including a staggering half a million joeys,” he said.
Animals Australia has long supported the global efforts to end the commercial kangaroo killing trade with supporters taking action to urge legislators in the US and the EU to protect kangaroos buy banning the import of kangaroo products.
Animals Australia works as part of a global coalition to protect kangaroos, and with state-based alliances to help on the national level.
“The mass-slaughter of our iconic native animals is Australia’s shame – and it’s time that both state and federal governments stepped up to protect these gentle, unique animals instead of commodifying them,” Ms Bonomi said.
