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The ACT government will assess if the territory's annual kangaroo cull will go ahead this year as a bushfire has torn through habitats in the Namadgi National Park. Ecologists are set to evaluate if a cull is needed in the wake of the Orroral Valley fire, an ACT government spokesman said. "The need to undertake kangaroo management is considered annually based on a range of factors," he said. "Our expert ecologists will assess the impact of bushfires on kangaroo numbers and the condition of parks and reserves to determine if a cull is required this year." The Orroral Valley fire, which started on January 27, has burned more than 50 per cent of Namadgi National Park. The ACT's Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate could not provide early estimates on the number of animals killed due to the bushfire. An assessment team is being established by the ACT government to assess the impact to wildlife from the fire. "The process of assessment is a normal process to be undertaken before actions can be identified and therefore it isn't appropriate to pre-empt actions or provide further detail at this point in time," the spokesman said. "Before any assessment of the impacts to the environment, wildlife, catchments and cultural heritage can be undertaken, the fire ground needs to be safe." In early-January University of Sydney environmental scientist Professor Chris Dickman said it was estimated that more than 800 million animals were killed in NSW alone so far this bushfire season. Kangaroos are culled annually in the ACT, between the months of March to July. Conditions in the ACT region are favourable for eastern grey kangaroos and populations within territory reserves are among the most dense in the country. The ACT government said culls are necessary to prevent overgrazing. It comes as the government is currently seeking tenders for a contractor to carry out the next five years of kangaroo culling in the territory. "We are required to seek tenders for work of this nature and the tender process does not commit government to delivering the program," the ACT government spokesman said. "Kangaroo conservation culls in the ACT have strict protocols to make sure individual kangaroos are checked and collected immediately after shooting. "Highly skilled and experienced shooters undergo the strictest proficiency assessments in the country." Animal rights groups have slammed the practice. Animal Liberation ACT has previously challenged the cull in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. More than 4000 kangaroos were shot last year in what was the biggest cull Canberra had ever seen. The cull took place in suburban nature reserves and not in Namadgi National Park. The most kangaroos were culled at the Mount Ainslie and Majura Nature Reserves where more than 1000 were shot. Meat is not produced from the kangaroo cull as the ACT government said it would be too costly, instead remains are sent to the tip. Last year, about 92,000 kilograms of kangaroo carcasses ended up at the tip after the more than two-month cull. "The ACT government has found that significant investment would be needed to overcome economic, operational and legislative barriers to using kangaroo meat from culling," the spokesman said. "This includes a lack of local ACT industry to process meat, relevant ACT legislation to ensure food safety standards and legislation and regulation to comply with industrial standards."

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