2 teenagers from Australia have been charged after 14 kangaroos were deliberately killed on the coast of New South Wales.
The two 17-year-olds are accused of using a four-wheel-drive vehicle to mow the East Greys down late last week in the Batemans Bay Suburb of Long Beach.
Authorities were called a day after the incident after locals saw dead kangaroos in the area.
The police and volunteers from WIRES Wildlife Rescue found dead bodies of 5 adult kangaroos and one joey in one part of the suburb.
After more investigation, they found another 7 dead kangaroos at Maloney’s Beach.
One joey was found alive by the rescuers and it was brought right away by WIRES, who are taking care of the animal.
The WIRS animal rescue released a statement about the incident on Facebook, saying:
It is a tragic and senseless act that has left an indelible mark on our dedicated Mid South Coast branch volunteers who attended the scene, as well as the local residents. A single surviving joey was located nearby on Saturday morning by a member of the public. She has been aptly nicknamed ‘Hope’ and is now in care with local WIRES member Shelley. We will continue to update you on Hope’s progress. We thank the community for their efforts in reporting and assisting Police with their investigations into this incident.
The group condemned the people that are responsible for the violence against the “defenseless” animals.
On October 11, 2021, the NSW (New South Wales) Police confirmed that the two local teenagers were charged for the crime.
A statement that was released by the NSW Police said:
The pair were issued a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) for recklessly beat and kills animal. They are due to appear at a children’s court on Friday 22 November 2021.
The 2 boys were not named and pictured by the police.