Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Aussies Hunt 'Roo Beater on Tape

Young man beats kanga on camera while friend laughs

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Sep 12, 2008 6:22 AM CDT

(Newser) – Animal rights activists in Australia are on the hunt for a young man who beat a kangaroo unconscious on camera while an onlooker laughed, the AP reports. The assault is documented in a grainy 15-second video clip that has been yanked from the porn site where it was originally posted. The date and location of the attack, as well as the animal’s fate, are still unknown.

A member of the group investigating the incident said the animal may have been ill, injured, or tame, which might explain why it took repeated blows to the head and chest instead of running away. "When you see these sorts of things, it knocks the wind out of your sails," the man said. "This animal is clearly defenseless, and they're laughing. It's horrific."

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

Penalties for cruelty to animals vary in Australia, but can involve jail time and heavy fines. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Australian wildlife advocates are on the hunt for a young man who assaulted a kangaroo, documented on video. The date and location of the incident are unknown. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, file)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Australian wildlife advocates are on the hunt for the young man assaulting a kangaroo in this video. The date and location of the incident are unknown. (freedyx67)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

When it comes across your desk and you see these sorts of things, it just knocks the wind out of your sails. This animal is clearly defenseless, and they're laughing ... It's just horrific. - Steve Coleman, CEO of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Scientists Crack Code of Kangaroo's DNA

Decoding could lead to new antibiotics, hope for wombats

(NEWSER) - What makes the kangaroo hop? That’s just one of the questions answered by international researchers who’ve decoded the genome of a kangaroo species, the BBC reports. The genome research team—the first to be led by Australian scientists—sequenced the genome in 2008 but finally completed its analysis of it and published those findings last week. "It's been a huge project," says one scientist. "I'm from Australia and it was going on when I was an undergraduate there 10 years ago." More»

Woman, 94, Battles Rogue Kangaroo

Broom-wielding Outback woman fights off attacking roo

(NEWSER) - The Australian Outback is home to millions of kangaroos—and some very tough old ladies. Phyllis Johnson, 94, is recovering in a local hospital after being attacked by a fully grown red kangaroo as she was hanging up her washing. The animal rained down kicks before she managed to fight it off with a broom and escape into her home. Police had to pepper spray the animal twice before it could be captured. More»

Mouse Decapitator on Facebook Sentenced

Aussie posted death video

(NEWSER) - An Aussie woman has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service for slicing the head off a mouse with a steak knife and posting a video of its 40-second death on Facebook. The 23-year-old woman pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. A second enemy of animals faced charges the same day of torturing and blowing up five possums. He's being held behind bars pending his sentencing later this month, AP reports. More»

Aussies Ban Indonesia Cattle Exports After Shocking Videos

Images of slaughterhouse cruelty horrify nation

(NEWSER) - Australia has banned the export of live cattle to Indonesia amid a public outcry over cruelty in the Islamic country's slaughterhouses. Horrific images broadcast on Australian TV last week showed cattle being whipped, kicked and beaten before painful slaughter. Some cows were left to bleed to death after repeated clumsy cuts to the throat. The Australian government is suspending exports until Indonesia implements safeguards against cruelty, reports the BBC. Australia exports more than half a million cattle to Indonesia each year, and the move is a major blow to the nation's cattle industry. More»

Aussie 'Kangatarians' Jump at New Diet

Converted vegetarians love the taste of free-roaming kangaroos

(NEWSER) - Some Australian vegetarians have embraced the “ethical and environmental” acceptability of kangaroo meat and are now “kangatarians.” The name was “a bit of a joke initially,” an advocate tells the Telegraph , but the phenomenon is real. Kangaroos run wild, eat naturally, are killed humanely, and emit far less methane than cows. So, eat up! More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Aussies Hunt 'Roo Beater on Tape