An Australian man has reportedly been arrested after allegedly running over and killing 20 kangaroos in the space of an hour.
According to 7 News, police were called to Tura Beach, on the New South Wales Coast on Sunday.
They were met with a terrifying scene, with multiple dead kangaroos lying dead on the road.
The kangaroos were believed to have been killed between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm on Saturday.
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The 19-year-old suspect was found and arrested by police on Tuesday afternoon. The Daily Mail reports he was charged with torture and causing the death of animals.
Police allege the kangaroos were hit by a utility vehicle, driven by the suspect.
Inspector Peter Volf, a Bega Valley Officer, told the Daily Mail that acts of animal cruelty will not be tolerated.
"We take incidents such as these very seriously and anyone who engages in activities such as these will face the full brunt of the law," Volf said.
Local woman Janine Green, a volunteer for the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRE) told the Daily Mail the scene was "carnage".
"We are asking all residents to be on the lookout for any others in the area that may be injured and are lying in bushland or vacant blocks," Green told local media.
Green is currently looking after the only surviving kangaroo, a joey that has been named Nullah.
She shared a picture of Nullah on WIRE's Facebook page on Tuesday, stating the organisation was "horrified" to hear of the event.
"Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation can be extremely challenging for all those involved, especially when animals have been injured in an apparent act of cruelty," Green wrote on Facebook.
According to 7 News, the man has been granted conditional bail to appear in Bega Local Court on November 26.
Newshub.
