This was intended only as an assignment for a documentary class in outback Australia. But as I photographed the dissected and dismembered remains of Kangaroos, Emus and other wildlife lying on the bitumen edge,  a sense of sorry and loss began to overwhelm me.  

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Agriculture and grazing have reduced the vast opens spaces of Australian outback on which the kangaroo once grazed to no more than meter wide green strips that stand next to these highways.  Fences protect crops and trucks clear foraging wildlife.  It is a delicate balance, a balance between our callous disregard of Australian wildlife and our ability to blame them for the carnage of the nightly drive.  

 

Photographing each causality brought me into closer contact with their live.  I looked at the marks in the dirt that evidenced the agony of their death, what would be going through their family’s mind when they don’t see their member return home at the end of the day. How could life go on for a baby Joey who is left without a mum. 

 

On our last day in St George I set out to search for ‘roos to photograph, I had been driving for 40 minutes and there were none to be found, took a left turn on to a stretch of dirt road and there she was, lying on the ground, dead. Upon walking towards the roo nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the situation twisted as I saw a movement in the pouch. Little Joey was kicking uncontrollably trying to get some attention. At that moment I knew I had to the right thing, which is to save Joey’s life and take him to the nearest vet. It brings me so much anger as drivers are not allowed to stop and check on the damage that they have caused due to the law. The wildlife are simply left to die slowly and painfully while truck drivers and tourists continued on their journey.