A dead koala has been found screwed to a pole in Australia in a “sickening” act that sparked outrage on social media yesterday.
Koala Rescue Queensland (KRQ) responded to a report of one of the furry animals climbing a picnic shelter at Brooloo Park Lookout near Gympie, 175km north of Brisbane, on Wednesday.
However, on closer inspection it was found to be dead and screwed in place.
Photo: AFP / Koala Rescue Queensland
“This poor koala has been screwed to the pole with building screws,” KRQ said on Facebook. “He is deceased, but whether or not he was when cruelly attached to the structure is unknown.”
KRQ president Murray Chambers said he thought he was hearing things when he was told about the incident.
“We’ve had koalas shot a few times. We’ve had them deliberately run over, but this is the first time some nutcase has actually screwed a koala to a building,” Chambers told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “You know, I mean, what’s wrong with society? Just makes you feel sick in the guts.”
The gruesome find sparked outrage on the KRQ Facebook page, with hundreds of comments slamming the “sickening” act.
“Hard to imagine that anyone could stoop so low,” Tim Siggs said.
“Absolutely horrendous. I really hope these grubs are caught and are dealt with and NOT with a slap on the hand,” Elly Bunting added.
The much-loved koala has been under increasing threat across Australia, particularly from habitat loss, disease, dog attacks and bushfires.
A 2012 national count placed total numbers at 330,000, though their tree-top habitat makes accurate assessment difficult.
It is not the first time a koala has been mistreated.
In November last year, one was found dead in Victoria state with both its ears cut off, the latest in a spate of animal mutilations around the town of Warrnambool.
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