LONDON (Reuters) - David Beckham should throw out his soccer boots, an animal welfare group says. "What's happening is the largest wildlife massacre in the world," said Juliet Gellatley from Viva!
"Some kangaroos are still alive when their legs are sliced open," she said, "and every time, they kill a mother, the baby in the pouch has to die as well." Footballers such as Beckham and Michael Owen were wearing kangaroo skin boots probably without being aware of the slaughtering, she said. That is why she and her supporters were campaigning at clubs, urging players to boycott the boots. ...
Manchester United would not comment on the Viva! campaign. But German sportswear company Adidas said kangaroo skin was among the best materials for soccer boots.
"Kangaroo leather has the advantage that it is very thin and soft but still has a very high tensile and tear strength," a spokeswoman for Adidas said, adding that the firm was concerned that the harvest of kangaroos was done under humane conditions.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Answers

What's that Skip? Your mum has just bent the ball over the wall?

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Don`t hear much of a fuss being made about cow leather... but cow`s are big fat nasty ugly animals not nice cute ones. For anyone who`s curious, kangaroo is very tasty (though it gets tough if you cook it beyond medium-rare). Needless to say I will not be boycotting Addidas....

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

I had some Roo meat when in Australia. And some camel, croc and emu. All very nice too. `

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Deep fried fat black beetles (Thailand), deep fried grasshoppers (Bali) are very tasty. Both are much better than deep fried mars bars (Scotland).

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

I had 'deep-fried' mince pie and chips in Liverpool once - I kid you not. Thought you might be interested.:o{)

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

My younger brother who has been living doon sooth for years and years and is now much posher than me of course, assures me the current trendy pudding is deep-fried pineapple rings smothered in treacle. Urrgghh!

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

....what exactly do they do with these 'rings' once they are prepared?

Ah knew they were aal bloody porvorts doon theor! ;o{)

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

To be fair, ADK, you don't often see your national emblem turned into footie boots :-) Next up bulldog clips using real bulldogs...

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

No indeed Bobby but as one (strangely Australian) said when discussing the fast disappearing Kiwi bird, if they farmed it, it would never die out...I think the beak stickin' out might be a problem when the linesmen comes to check yer boots mind ;-)

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Yes, but not every country has a pest as its national symbol either.

All the greenies (and there is nothing wrong with that) will abuse me no doubt, but to keep the numbers down from plague proportions the govt allows hunters to kill a quota each year, the numbers are obtained by several tertiary institutions research. I do not know how humanely it is possible to kill anything though.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Beat me to it Gus. I was going to make the same point.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Do the hunters use dogs and wear silly red tunics? Top-ho!

I'm no environmentalist, but why are kangaroos likely to breed to plague proportions? They've had 1,000s of years to do their worst. Or is it that they're expanding back into human habitats? I honestly don't know, so an informed opinion would be welcome.

ps - I thought greenies are what happened in the morning when smoking 20 a day for a while...

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Roos do very well on the perifery of the metropolitan areas due to the increase in grasslands. You are are somewhat right Bobby in that the reason they are a 'pest' is because they destroy crops, fences and other agriculural investments. Mind you you have to be a damn good shot to get the lace holes in.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

When we have rain in the outback and there is an abundance of food for them they brred prolifically, as they move in groups called "Mobs" they go through anything in their path, over and through fences etc, they then feed on pasture for sheep and cattle.

If you know a rural area infested with rabbits, imagine that same area with similar numbers of kangaroos.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

My tour guide on one of my Oz trips said 'Roos stage some pretty good boxing matches. Perhaps a new solution to an old problem? ;-)

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

I think Mike Tyson is already booked...

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002