By Jessica Micallef
A Macedon Ranges animal rescuer is calling for tougher penalties on animal cruelty.
Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network rescuers were called to attend a female kangaroo with an arrow lodged in her upper body in Greenvale on June 1.
Rescuer Manfred Zabinskas said the team came across a male kangaroo with identical injuries during the rescue.
“The biggest problem is … there’s no justice. No one gets prosecuted, it’s just too easy,” he said. “We just need to keep reporting this stuff so that it gets heard.”
Mr Zabinskas said the female kangaroo was traumatised and rescuers weren’t able to tranquilise or rescue her when they were first called out.
“The next day they went out again [and] while they were looking for her, they found another kangaroo with an arrow.
“We were able to slowly and carefully sneak up. He was a little bit more approachable.”
Mr Zabinskas said the female kangaroo was located on Monday.
“The arrow that was through her chest had broken somehow … the broken end of the arrow did manage to enter her lungs,” he said.
“She was … euthanised. She had a large joey in her pouch and he was saved.”
Mr Zabinskas said the female kangaroo’s injuries were a lot older than the male kangaroo, suggesting the recent attacks were not “isolated”.
“This is an ongoing thing … someone’s out there shooting at kangaroos,” he said. “It appears that there may be other kangaroos …that have been attacked the same way.”
