How many kangaroos are left in the world today?

Answer 1

Depending on the species, there are millions of kangaroos still in the world. While it is not known how many kangaroos have been introduced to other parts of the world, Australia's population of kangaroos is certainly healthy.

Kangaroo populations vary widely from year to year in Australia, due entirely to whether the regions are in a flood year or a drought year. Figures across the entire continent of Australia are not available. Some figures are available for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. In 2011, across these four states alone, there were approximately 11.514 million red kangaroos, 2.348 million western grey kangaroos, 16.057 million eastern grey kangaroos and 4.383 million wallaroos. This is a grand total of over 34 million kangaroos. Figures for Tasmania, Northern Territory and Victoria are not included.

These figures do not take into account all the smaller members of the kangaroo family, including wallaroos, all the species of wallabies, quokkas, rufous rat-kangaroos and pademelons right down to the tiny desert-dwelling musky rat kangaroos.

Answer 2

Red Kangaroo populations vary widely from year to year in Australia. For example, due to drought conditions, one set of figures quotes that Red kangaroo numbers in New South Wales alone dropped from 500,000 in 2002 to 110,000 in 2005, but they have since seen a resurgence. Other states see a similar pattern, based on whether it has been a drought year or a good year.

Other figures seem to offer a much more hopeful picture. For example, after 2010's early wet season, kangaroo numbers in one region - just the Western Plains area of New South Wales - were believed to be 3,013,908.

For more information on Red and Grey kangaroo trends within one area since 2006, see the related link below.