Police, RSPCA investigate animal torture at Bundaberg| Video

Three teenagers have been charged with serious animal cruelty after the circulation of a horrific video showing the torture of a young kangaroo. *Warning: Disturbing content

Police have charged three teenagers over the filmed torture of a young kangaroo in Bundaberg.

It comes after chilling footage showing the kangaroo whimpering as it was run over by a white vehicle and the young people inside filmed and laughed, emerged.

The group gets out and someone films while two young men unleash a sadistic attack on the helpless animal.

One man films the dying animal’s face up close as the other man comes in to kick the paralysed creature in the head as it struggles in vain to avoid the attack.

The video, circulating on social media, sports the caption “kill 2 for the night”.

One of the attackers is filmed dancing around the dying roo.

Another sickening image, shared along with the video, shows a hare lying in a pool of blood on the road, with the caption “poor rabbit KOed by the commy”.

Bundaberg wildlife carer Christine Wynne is disgusted by acts of deliberate cruelty to animals.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman confirmed on Tuesday officers from the Bundaberg Child Protection Investigation Unit identified three juveniles, two boys aged 13 and 17 and, and a 17-year-old girl.

“The three juveniles were all charged with serious animal cruelty and have been dealt with by virtue of the Youth Justice Act,” a QPS spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Bundaberg wildlife carer Christine Wynne devotes her life and resources to saving Australia’s native wildlife, which is why she finds it “despicable” that there are people would intentionally harm them.

“It’s tough enough out there,” she said.

“They’re losing their habitat.”

Ms Wynne said wildlife were struggling to survive with new housing areas and roadworks, and that cases of people intentionally killing animals were not unheard of.

“I’ve heard and seen quite a bit about it,” she said, adding that at one stage she was left to care for a joey after someone had deliberately hit its mum with a car.

Ms Wynne said the driver tried to go back to kill the joey, but a bystander was able to save it before it could be hit too.

The long-time wildlife carer said even ducks were targeted.

“They’re just despicable scum that would do anything like this,” she said.

“There are huge fines for this sort of thing.

“All I can say is I abhor anything like this happening.”

The RSPCA is also investigating the incident and condemned the footage.

“A complaint was received by RSPCA Inspectors yesterday and our local area inspector is investigating,” a spokeswoman said on Monday.

“The footage is vile and utterly abhorrent.”

The Department of Environment and Science has been contacted for comment.

The maximum penalty for an individual convicted of cruelty to animals in Queensland is $275,700 or three years’ imprisonment under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

There are also offences for severe animal cruelty under the Criminal Code Act 1899, which have a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.