Common/Bare-faced Wombat Victoria – Being treated for Mange
Killing Wombat’s Australia
On the 28th July 2019, “The Age” media published a Fairfax/Nine investigative report on the alleged crime and corruption linked between Melbourne’s (Victoria, Australia) Crown Casino and a Chinese businessman named Tom Zhou. Amongst a host of terrible things, the investigation revealed that Mr Zhou is “an international criminal fugitive, the subject of an Interpol red notice, and that he is/was supposed to be arrested immediately if he crosses a country’s border.” Mr Zhou also happens to own a property in Victoria where he runs a hunting business for high rollers to shoot and kill one of Australia’s most iconic native Australian marsupials, the common/bare-faced wombats. This scenario is very similar to the same tactics used by other hunters around the world to sport kill animals such as the African wildlife, polar bears in Alaska, and now the wombats in Australia. They find a loop hole.
Murrindindi is a scenic and usually quiet area, approximately one hundred kilometres north east of Melbourne. However the once quiet township is no more as locals are disturbed, concerned and some frightened of the now familiar sounds of gunshots blasting day and night.
The New Daily translated some of Mr Zhou’s company website, (which is written in Mandarin) and includes the following statements:
“When we come to Australia, we should experience life that we can’t experience in China,”
“The first thing that should be felt in Australia is to be a wilderness hunter in the mountains of Australia”,
“Even if you don’t have any shooting experience, it doesn’t matter”,
“With professional guidance, you will be a great shooter!”, and
“Hares, foxes, wombats, wild ducks, red deer, sambars (deer) … a variety of wild animals to spend a happy holiday with you.”
The above statements from Mr Zhou’s hunting website is the essence of propaganda, luring, and enticement. Angering statements to say the least.
The Loop Hole
How has this sickening and totally non-Australian debacle happened? Wombats are protected in every Australian state except for 193 parish areas in Victoria. The killing of the wombats has happened because the property location (Link to property Murrindindi Farm ) is in a parish area that does not protect wombats. In 1997, under section 7A of the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), wombats were declared ‘unprotected wildlife’ in 193 parishes across Victoria. Is this the mysterious ” loop hole” that has allowed this disgraceful slaughter of the declining wombats?
The Possible Solution
There may be a legal light at the end of this barbaric tunnel.
From legal advise we received, regarding section 7A of the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), the declaration is subject to some qualifications, including that wombats may only be taken or destroyed by primary producers (i.e. ‘by a landowner or occupier who is engaged in rural production’). Therefore, hunting wombats for sport is not legal, even if it occurs in one of the 193 parishes.
Request to the Victorian Authorities
From the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), it is clear that the hunting activities on the Murrindindi property is breaching the law. We request that the Victorian Government Authorities shut down Murrindindi farm hunting activities immediately for breaching the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic). We request that all firearms found on the Murrindindi property to be confiscated immediately, and finally that Mr Zhou is thoroughly investigated by whatever means it takes to find any other sordid illegal hunting venues in Victoria or Australia.
Petitions and how to help the 193 Wombats
Petitions to sign
- Humane Society petition to protect the 193 Wombats
- Change Org petition to protect the 193 Wombats
Tomorrow – Interview with volunteers who protect the Wombats of Victoria
References and Links:
The New Daily – https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/vic/2019/07/29/crown-zhou-wombat-hunting/
Victorian Government Gazette, pages 1315-1316 of Victorian Government Gazette (G22, 5 June 1997) – http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1997/V/general/22.pdf
The New Daily – https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/08/01/wombats-killing-crown-casino/
The Wildlife Act (VIC)
For any further information please contact Cee4life
Email: cee4lifeinc@outlook.com
Phone: +61499276129