Outrage greets return of 'quokka soccer'
The slaughter of a group of rare miniature wallabies on an island off the coast of Western Australia has revived ugly memories of the cruellest sport Down Under - 'quokka soccer'.
As small as rabbits, quokkas are curious marsupials that live on Rottnest Island, 20km west of the port of Fremantle.
Since January 5, eight quokkas have been found dead on the 11km-long island, apparently kicked or beaten to death. The animals were found on a cricket oval near Thomson Bay Settlement, one of Rottnest's few villages.
The dead quokkas were found by maintenance workers who alerted the island's wildlife rangers.
Ranger Sallyann Gudge said: 'I've shed many a tear over the last few days. We are all really shocked and upset about the whole thing. I just don't understand human beings sometimes. I hope and pray that this sort of thing doesn't happen again.'
In the 1990s, a spate of attacks on the small creatures gave rise to the phrase quokka soccer, with day-trippers from the mainland apparently kicking and killing the animals for fun.
Police on the island are now investigating the attack and say several visitors have come forwards with information they hope will lead to an arrest.
In November, a 16-year-old schoolboy was given a formal caution after admitting he hit a quokka with a stick.
Senior Constable Michael Wear, of the island's small police force, said: 'Quokka soccer was well known in the 90s. People would just walk along and boot them for no reason. It happened quite a lot, but since then we've had very few attacks.
'It's disgraceful. They're very cute little things. They're round and furry and ironically about the size of a soccer ball. Like kangaroos, the females keep their joeys in pouches.'
Quokkas are a protected species and aside from a small colony in the south of Western Australia, they are found nowhere else in the world. Rottnest supports a population of about 12,000. The animals are inquisitive and largely fearless, and can be seen around campsites, beaches and urban areas.
'They wander down the streets and into cafes and restaurants,' Mr Wear said. 'You can get right up to them.'
In 1996, in response to the cruelties of quokka soccer, the West Australian government imposed a fine of A$10,000 (HK$45,500) for anyone caught harming the small herbivores.
Rottnest was originally named by a Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh, who in 1696 mistook the quokkas for a species of giant rat, hence the island's name - rat's nest.
The island was settled by British colonists in 1831 and was used as a brutal penal colony for Aborigines between 1838 and 1902. Its sandy beaches and turquoise bays make it a popular weekend getaway for people from Perth and Fremantle.
Private cars are not allowed, and the island's 500,000 annual visitors get around by foot or by bicycle. The quokkas are one of the island's main attractions.
