Representatives of an animal protection group will monitor the thinning of about 400 kangaroos in Australia's northern Canberra region.

Michael Linke, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said some people have been concerned the kangaroos will suffer from stress when shot with tranquilizers before being killed, ABC News in Australia reported Monday. However, he said the tranquilizers are the same ones used when animals are relocated rather than killed.

The kangaroos are located on the Australian Defense Department's Belconnen Naval Transmission Site. The culling, deemed necessary because of overcrowding, is expected to take about three weeks.

I think a lot of people are saying that the kangaroos have been a little stressed and there's some concern about the tranquilizing phase, he said. I don't think there is any best way to manage this; it's the only option left for Defense.

Linke said RSPCA inspectors were satisfied with the culling process.

We're making regular, frequent, random visits, we're not advising Defense when we're turning up; we're just turning up and they've agreed to let us in whenever we arrive on site, he said.

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