Horrifying footage showing a man repeatedly punching a helpless kangaroo while his friend laughs is doing the rounds on social media.
The clip, which was posted to Snapchat before being shared on Facebook, starts with a bare-footed man in green shorts pulling the poor creature’s head back and repeatedly hitting it in the face.
As the vile attacker smacks the marsupial, it raises a paw in a bid to defend itself, before collapsing on the ground injured.
Warning, this clip contains extremely distressing footage:
According to social media users who shared the video, the kangaroo was already suffering from a broken back before the senseless attack.
While the specific location of the film is unknown, it’s believed to have been filmed in New South Wales.
It wasn’t long before the video went viral on social media, and was inundated with comments from people dubbing the attackers ‘dead mutts’ and ‘absolute scum of the earth’.
Another Facebook post claims to name and shame the alleged attackers, saying they are two teenagers from New South Wales. The post goes on to suggest the vile pair hit the kangaroo with a car, which caused it to have a broken back.
The author of the Facebook post said they had shared it because ‘animals deserve justice’.
As per Daily Mail Australia, the New South Wales branch of the RSPCA received a report in relation to alleged acts of cruelty towards kangaroos in the south of the state.
A spokesperson told the publication:
We take all allegations of animal cruelty very seriously and this matter is currently under investigation,’ the spokesperson said.
Everything that RSPCA NSW can do, which is appropriate and in accordance with the law, is being done.
Privacy and legal considerations do not allow us to provide further information at this time.
Anyone who has any further information to provide should contact RSPCA NSW on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589) or online via rspcansw.org/reportcruelty.
New South Wales police are also investigating the footage, a spokesperson confirmed:
Police are aware of videos circulating on social media regarding possible acts of animal cruelty.
Police will not tolerate violence against animals in any capacity.
The public are reminded not to report crime via social media.
Here’s to hoping the police hunt down the perpetrators and give them the appropriate punishment for such a heinous attack.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.