20 kangaroos have been found dead after a truly horrifying attack in Tura Beach on Saturday night.
Residents of the small town in NSW were shocked when they woke up to a terrifying number of deceased roos over the space of a few streets in their usually quiet neighbourhood.
In what is believed to be a deliberate attack, more than 20 kangaroos were run down by a vehicle in the area for reasons unknown.
The totally unnecessary killings took place across Headland Drive, Elizabeth Parade and The Dress Circle between 10.30pm and 11.30, 10 Daily reports.
Unfortunately three joeys, five juveniles and 12 adults were killed in the attack, with another three joeys being rescued by police.
NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) volunteer Janine Green said police contacted her after finding a Joey in the pouch of a roo that had to be euthanised following the attack.
“There was one injured kangaroo that was not killed on impact; so they had to euthanise her. She had the joey in her pouch,” Green told 10 daily.
Green was later asked by local police to assist with removing the carcasses from the area, which would’ve been heartbreaking to say the least.
The remaining three joeys are currently in the care of WIRES, where they will hopefully be nursed back to health before being released.
However, the cost of hand-rearing joeys is a whopping $500/day, so it is unclear whether WIRES will be able to keep the animals for long. You can donate to the organisation here.
Locals have been “utterly gobsmacked” by the events.
“The people that live there, it a residential street, they live among them,” Ms Green told 9 News. “They were just walking around shaking their heads.”
Kangaroos are not only a part of our own coat of arms, but they’re also relatively unproblematic animals. Sure, they’re dangerous when you’re driving at night, or if you get too close to them. But for the most part, kangaroos will just leave you alone if you leave them alone.
So why the heck would somebody want to kill one? Why would somebody want to kill 20 of them?
“The kangaroos have always lived in the area, and they’re part of a community,” Green said. “To find them all lying on their footpaths on a beautiful Sunday morning… it was just sickening, and totally unnecessary.”
The incident is now being investigated by NSW Police for “several” acts of animal cruelty. If you have any information or CCTV of the event, police are encouraging you to come forward.
