THE people who killed a wild kangaroo by shooting it with a bow and arrow have been labelled as “bloody ridiculous” by nearby residents who found an arrow stuck in their garage roof.
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Craig and Courtney Taylor, of Table Top, found the same brand of arrow as used to kill the roo in the iron roof about a fortnight ago.
Mr Taylor said they had put it down to children mucking around but the discovery of the dead kangaroo in Bells Reserve, about 500m from their home, had them fearing for the safety of their animals.
“The same day we saw the arrow, the gate to one of our paddocks had been left open and our horses were three paddocks away,” he said.
“It’s bloody ridiculous.
“There are always people in that reserve walking, cycling or riding their horses on a track that leads to the Kinross and any one of them could’ve been hurt.
“If people want to practise their aim they should stick to their backyards or visit a practice range, not just shoot arrows through public land.”
RSPCA district inspector Lionel Smith yesterday inspected 56ha of the reserve with Albury rural crime investigator Detective Sen-Constable Scott Barton and National Parks and Wildlife Woomargama ranger Dave Pearce.
They found a gum tree with 50 arrow puncture marks as well as four discarded arrows.
This made eight arrows, with three in carcass of the kangaroo and the one the Taylors found.
The roo was taken to the Hume Animal Hospital where RSPCA president Arthur Frauenfelder revealed it would have suffered “excruciating pain” before it died.
“An arrow has pierced the kangaroo just above its hip bone and gone deep into the pelvic canal, causing massive internal bleeding,” he said.
“Every time it moved it would have been excruciatingly painful, so I’d say it’s taken refuge in the water but has become immobilised from the pain, been unable to stand and has drowned.”
Sen-Constable Barton yesterday warned those responsible they would be prosecuted.
“Harming or killing a protected animal breaks at least four laws ... and the fact that people’s lives were put at risk makes the situation even worse,” he said.
Anyone who may have seen people with a bow and arrow in the vicinity of Bell’s Reserve is urged to call Mr Smith on 0429 001 689 or Sen-Constable Barton on 0411 484 071.
Editorial — page 16
