On a residential street in central Victoria, a kangaroo was discovered beheaded and tied with rope.
On August 1, the mangled corpse of an eastern grey kangaroo was found on Winter Street in Ballarat during a normal street sweep. Its legs looked to be linked by an orange rope. Ballarat City’s animal management staff notified the state’s Conservation Regulator and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, who are currently investigating.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers, according to the agency.
Locals shocked by the tragedy flocked to social media to express their outrage.
‘That is really upsetting. People that do such things to animals are not healthy. ‘That poor kangaroo,’ wrote one.
‘This is awful, the poor kangaroo didn’t deserve this dreadful end of life,’ commented another. I hope they find the perpetrator and fine them a lot of money.’
While a third said, ‘This is extremely upsetting. The individual who did this need immediate assistance.’
‘Kangaroos, like other animals, are protected in Victoria, and cruelty to them is wrong and unlawful,’ Grampians regulatory operations manager Brian Hamer said.
We take all wildlife crime claims seriously, and we’re looking into how and why this kangaroo died.’
It is prohibited in Victoria under the Animals Act to hunt, take, destroy, harm, or interfere with wildlife.
If discovered and proved guilty, people responsible for serious animal cruelty may face up to two years in prison and a $92,460 fine.