Hunt for sick killers who butchered kangaroos in Lysterfield South

POLICE and the RSPCA are investigating a sickening attack on two kangaroos and an unborn joey in Melbourne’s southeast. WARNING: Graphic images

Hunt for ‘sick’ kangaroo killers

POLICE and the RSPCA are investigating a sickening attack on two kangaroos and a joey by a group of men near Churchill National Park last week.

Lysterfield South man Robert Bishop, who lives near the park and regularly sees kangaroos near his home, wrote on his blog Socratic Ignorance that he saw a group of people in four-wheel drives “hooning” down his street at 11pm before the attack, chasing the animals.

He said when he shone his torch at the cars the occupants “screamed abuse at him” before driving away.

He went to bed before being woken up later by “loud voices and a hammering kind of noise”.

Mr Bishop went to investigate and saw the men ‘gathered around a twitching kangaroo’ so he called the police. He posted photos on his blog of the carnage, which included a kangaroo with a leg hacked off and a kangaroo that had been disembowelled. Both kangaroos had their throats slashed. The joey had its head cut off.

Mr Bishop said he wanted to appeal to the public to help catch the people responsible.

He is crowd-funding so he could install CCTV cameras on his property in case the men came back.

Police are investigating the attack on this kangaroo in Lysterfield South. Picture: Robert Bishop

“It is truly a privilege to see these beautiful native animals so close around our home,” he said.

“I am physically sickened by what I saw.

“I would install the cameras myself but my family live on my disability pension and such luxuries are way outside of our price range.

“I love animals and am still shaking as I type, horrified by the blatant and evil cruelty visited upon those poor animals.”

RSPCA chief executive Dr Liz Walker said anyone with information should contact the RSPCA or police.

She said the perpetrators could possibly be violent towards people.

“RSPCA Victoria is sickened by any acts of deliberate cruelty against animals,” she said.

“There is a known link between violence against animals and violence against people. We take deliberate acts of violence against animals very, very seriously.

“People found guilty of animal cruelty offences can face fines of more than $74,000 or up to two years in prison.”

Endeavour Hills police are investigating the incident.

RSPCA: 9224 2222

Endeavour Hills police: 9709 7666

Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000

Originally published as Hunt for sick killers who butchered kangaroos in Lysterfield South