A Chinese man has been charged with destroying protected wildlife in Australia after allegedly killing a kangaroo and posting a video of the act to a US hunting site.
In the video, the 43-year-old man can be seen grabbing its tail and repeatedly slashing at its throat while his friend laughs and eggs him on.
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The video was picked up on popular Chinese app WeChat where many called for his arrest, according to South China Morning Post. Australia’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning tracked the man down to his home in Melbourne where they arrested him.
All of Australia’s native fauna and flora are protected by law, and, if convicted, the man could be fined up to US$30 000 or jailed for two years.
Officers also allegedly seized firearms, knives and phones from his home, according to local publication 9News.
“We take all alleged cases of animal cruelty very seriously,” a spokesperson for the department said. “The wildlife offences captured in this video are particularly abhorrent. We’d like to thank members of the public who came forward with information about the alleged offences and enabled us to act quickly in response.”
Chinese users on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo have condemned the man’s actions, according to SCMP.
“Such a horrible crime on display for everyone to see,” wrote one user. “One man’s behaviour reflects badly on all Chinese people.”
Poaching efforts in multiple countries have been fuelled by Chinese demand (where exotic animal products are used as part of traditional medicine), but the motive behind this gruesome killing is yet unclear.
The graphic video can be watched here (NSFW).
