Horror and heartbreak as impaled roo left to die in agony

A BUNDABERG wildlife carer has been left sickened by what she believes was a deliberate act of cruelty that left a kangaroo to die in agony. GRAPHIC

A BUNDABERG wildlife carer has been left sickened by what she believes was a deliberate act of cruelty that left a kangaroo to die in agony.

Christine Wynne, who is the president of Queensland Wildlife Carers and Volunteers, said she received a call on Saturday morning telling her a member of the public had found a kangaroo on Clayton Rd at Thabeban, impaled and still alive.

Being a Saturday, it was difficult to find someone who could euthanase the dying animal.

"I got one of our other carers to have a look and by then the poor thing had died," Mrs Wynne said.

Mrs Wynne said she believed the incident had been a deliberate attack - a post had been ripped from the ground and inserted through the kangaroo's stomach and out through its back.

The kangaroo was left to die in pain on Clayton Rd.

"There was some pieces of broken glass off a car," Mrs Wynne said.

"I believe someone was quite angry their car got damaged and has taken it out on the poor animal."

The local wildlife carer said even if the kangaroo had somehow been impaled by accident, it was still horrifying that someone had left it to die in agony.

"Why didn't they call somebody to get it instead of just leaving it in agony?" she said.

But her belief remains that someone had carried out the attack on purpose.

"It (the stake) had been pulled out of the ground and it looks like it had been used to impale it," she said.

"It would have been in agony, it was right through the stomach.

"Whoever could do something like that would have to be very callous."

Wildlife carer Christine Wynne was left shocked and horrified by the kangaroo's death. Picture: Mike Knott BUN260215POSSUM1

Mrs Wynne said the RSPCA had been notified of the incident and said she hoped anyone with information could call her on 4159 6431 or 0439 5052 228.

"If anyone does know anything, please let us know," she said.

"It's a bit scary to know there are people walking around Bundaberg who are capable of that kind of cruelty, it's devastating."

Mrs Wynne said in the past she had treated an ibis that had been shot with a bow and arrow and said she had heard of cases of kangaroos and wallabies being hit with arrows.

The incident follows widespread media around video footage of a teenager beating a kangaroo.

After the footage went viral recently, an 18-year-old man was arrested in New South Wales on Wednesday after he contacted police in relation to the video.

Police allege he attacked the kangaroo in Woomargama National Park south of Holbrook, in January 2019.

The teenager has been charged with committing an act of cruelty upon an animal and harming or attempting to harm a protected animal.

He's been granted bail to appear in court in March.

Originally published as Horror and heartbreak as impaled roo left to die in agony