Two teenagers in Australia have been charged in the killing of 14 kangaroos that were found beaten to death over the weekend about 170 miles south of Sydney, according to reports.
The dead animals were discovered Saturday on Long Beach, along the southern coast of Australia’s New South Wales, The Washington Post reported.
Police were called to the scene where five adult kangaroos and one joey lay dead; and then later, on neighboring Maloney’s Beach, another seven kangaroos and one joey were also found deceased.
An injured baby kangaroo was found alive amid the carnage.
The suspects were not identified by name but were said to be two 17-year-old boys who were taken into custody Monday. The next day they were charged with recklessly beating and killing animals, the Post reported.
They each face up to five years in jail and a $15,000 fine and will answer to the charges in a juvenile court in November, the Daily News reported.
The area of the killing ground is typically a peaceful reserve where the mammals gather around sunset every day, the Post reported.
Authorities have not revealed the manner in which the attack was carried out, but one wildlife expert said the animals “would have been in total fear,” according to the Post.
“To think of the horror they would have gone through,” Janelle Renes, chair of a local branch of Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, said to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The surviving Joey will be cared for at a facility until it is big enough to be returned to the wild.
About the Author
