Emu chicks left to die on side of remote WA road in sickening act

Five emu chicks have been found dead on the side of a country road as the unknown killer is slammed for their actions.

A remote West Australian community is furious after five emu chicks were left to die on a country road with gruesome injuries.

Two chicks were already dead and the other three had to be put down after wildlife volunteers were called to the awful scene in Hawke National Park in Yeagarup, near the southwestern tip of Australia.

Amaris Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary owner Maggie van Santen told NCA NewsWire the scene where sanctuary volunteer Leonie Burt was called to help the injured animals on Saturday was “truly horrific”.

Amaris Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary volunteer Leonie Burt holds one of the emu chicks that were tragically killed in southwest WA’s Hawke National Park. Two other injured chicks lie next to the road. Picture: Facebook

Of the three emus that were still alive when Ms Burt arrived, one had a broken spine, another had a broken leg and the third had a broken pelvis and a “smashed leg”.

“When Leonie arrived two were already deceased, the others in a terrible way. There was no choice but to euthanase them,” Ms van Santen wrote on Facebook.

“One of the chicks that was still alive was left in the middle of the road.

“Why would someone run over five emu chicks and not stop and ask for help.”

A commenter described the incident as a “hateful act”.

The driver who left the chicks on the road has been slammed on social media for their ‘hateful act’. Picture: Facebook / Amaris Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary

Another commenter said his friend had managed to pull up a road train to avoid hitting emus in faint morning light.

“Anyone can avoid if you bloody care,” he said.

Ms van Santen said officers from the Western Australian Department of Biodiversitty, Conservation and Attractions had inspected the scene but had not been able to find any helpful information on the killings so far, but they were reviewing footage to see who had driven through the national park.

The father of the chicks, which wildlife carers believed would have likely been in the area when they were hit, has not yet been found by rangers. Picture: Facebook / Amaris Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary

“DBCA have been notified … also they have a camera set up and will be checking on all vehicles that travelled through the area,” she said.

The emu chicks’ father, which normally would be looking after them and may have also been hit by the vehicle, had not been found, Ms van Santen said.

Many commenters passed their well-wishes on to Ms Burt for witnessing the chicks’ traumatic injuries.

Anyone involved in an incident with wildlife or who has found dead animals on roads is urged to call their state’s relevant helpline to report the incident.