Kangaroo Shoes?

Apparently kangaroos play a bigger role in our lives than we thought. Kangaroo skin is said to be used for bags, purses, wallets, jackets, shoes and even sporting goods. Autralia, the mastermind behind kangaroo skinning, exports approximately 3 million kangaroo skins (a value of $17 million dollars) to Europe and the U.S. each year and collects about $200 million dollars in profits-imagine that! Buying and selling kangaroo products is legal in every American state except California, who has also banned crocodile, ocelot, and polar bear products. What is even more suprising, is that the most popular footwear brands (even the ones I wear!) use kangaroo skins: Adidas, Nike and Puma. Adidas was even sued by Vegetarians International Voices for Animals in 2003 for importing kangaroo-skinned shoes into California.

And, believe it or not, kangaroos are even found in our FOOD! Russia, for example, uses kangaroo meat in their sausages because it is leaner and cheaper than beef. Even our pets eat the Australian animal; kangaroos are often used for cat and dog foods.

Did you know kangaroos are this common? Will you continue to support the skinning of kangaroos by buying kangaroo-based products?

Sources say that even David Beckham has opposed the killing of innocent kangaroos and has stopped wearing Adidas cleats to show his disapproval.

For more information on this topic, go to: http://www.slate.com/id/2162857/?nav=navoa