Australian wildlife cruelty is out of control

Horrific, sadistic wildlife cruelty is out of control in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

* CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses animal cruelty

With the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTA) now replaced by many states, governments are failing to urgently act on the growing extent of cruelty and trauma to which Australian wildlife is being subjected.

The situation is serious, largely unreported by mainstream media, with wildlife suffering appalling treatment, torture and dreadful pain. Animals are sentient beings; they feel pain just like humans, except there’s no relief because our political parties are lacking in any compassion. Instead, using our wildlife as photo props for propaganda.

In the South West Victorian town of Koroit, a koala was allegedly tied with a rope around its neck to the back of a ute and dragged through the town, resulting in appalling injuries, leaving a trail of blood for 100 metres, then dumped in a nearby park.

According to a report in the Warrnambool Standard:

The witness, who asked not to be named, said she was driving home from work at South West Healthcare about 5.15 pm on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, when she saw a ute driving towards her on Koroit’s King Street:

"It was just my normal route that I usually go along, there was this ute that, from front view, was not suspicious whatsoever. But as I did get a bit closer, this ute did start to drive off and then just as I got side-by-side to the car, I saw the koala on the road getting dragged [by a rope]."

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The witness said she turned her car around and tried to follow to get details of the vehicle, but it drove away before she could.

She said the injured animal was dumped at Victoria Park.

The witness said once she arrived at where the koala was left, it was obvious how badly hurt it was:

If you’re looking at the koala on his right side, very injured, gravel grazed… the koala’s left side face was grazed, like to the bone, to the muscle, pretty much.

It was sitting up and sort of rocking back and forth obviously trying to get comfortable through all the pain that that poor thing had endured. I think there was a lot more damage than what you could visibly see.

The woman said she, with the help of another witness, called services to help the animal. She said she sat a few metres away, talking to the animal to keep it calm until animal rescuers arrived.

The koala, in dreadful pain, was picked up by the rescuer, who faced another dilemma as the local vet practice didn’t have a vet on call. It was fortunate that a volunteer vet at the Mosswood Wildlife Sanctuary was available and euthanised the suffering koala. The injuries were dreadful; there was no possibility of the wounded koala surviving.

If no rescuer or vet had been available, the fate of the koala is not worth thinking about. With no wildlife hospital in the habitat of the state’s largest koala population, getting veterinary treatment is difficult.

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Under the current Victorian government’s inadequate anti-cruelty legislation, any prosecution of this sadistic, brutal cruelty will be undertaken by the Conservation Regulator, which is part of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). A department that is the focus of extreme criticism by many conservation groups, shelters and local communities over its non-action on wildlife issues.

According to the Conservation Regulator Facebook page, an arrest has been made, but the alleged perpetrator has been released:

An arrest has been made following allegations a koala was dragged by a vehicle along roadway in Victoria’s southwest. The incident allegedly took place at Koroit on Wednesday, before the koala was found with serious injuries at Victoria Park. Due to the extent of its injuries, the koala was euthanised.

A man was arrested by Victoria Police yesterday and interviewed by the Conservation Regulator in relation to wildlife cruelty offences. The 67-year-old been released and is expected to be charged on summons.

Why wasn’t he gaoled? What further sadistic torture can he inflict on animals whilst the legal system drags on? Ask yourself the essential question.

If a human being with a rope around his neck tied to the back of a ute and dragged up a street, would the perpetrator be released? If the human died of injuries sustained, would the perpetrator be charged with murder?

What’s the difference?

With no wildlife hospital in the region, the plight of injured wildlife can only be described as desperate.

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In 2023, the Allan Labor Government promised to build a $4.7 million wildlife hospital in the region to be operated by Zoos Victoria. The hospital has not progressed.

Liberal MP Roma Britnell, member for the south-west coast, raised the issue in Parliament in November 2025, saying:

"I’m angry. Two years later there is no timeline, no consultation and no visible progress. When I pressed the Minister, the response was staggering. They claimed there is no suitable land in South-West Coast. Our region has abundant public and private land."

In 2019, RSPCA Victoria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Andrews Government, which denied the agency enforcement of wildlife issues, instead giving the conservation regulator the power to prosecute.

A draft animal care and protection bill was quietly shelved by the Victorian Government in March this year. The bill was designed to eradicate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Available evidence of government cruelty points to the fact that both the Andrews and Allan Labor governments are dead set determined to ensure minimum protection for Victorian animals remains in place.

Given the Victorian Labor Government has worked tirelessly to weaken any protection of wildlife and to eradicate the powers of RSPCA Victoria, the public is entitled to ask why sentient animals are now being treated as "things in the way" with significantly limited focus on cruelty, which has been handed over to bureaucrats.

In March, the deliberate killing of seven kangaroos in Victoria’s Flinders raised deep concern.

Wildlife rescuer Virginia Carter said the injuries were consistent with being hit by vehicles and possibly being shot:

"All were severely injured. Five had broken legs, two had head injuries. A dead joey was lying beside its mother with a torn pouch."

A similar incident happened in the same area in December last year.

Once again, the appalling incident was not reported to RSPCA Victoria as the MOU denies any enforcement of wildlife issues. Instead, DEECA, Victoria Police and Parks Victoria were given the information. No updates have been made available.

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The POCTA is dead in the water in many states. Queensland passed an Animal Care & Protection Act in 2001. South Australia has an Animal Welfare Act, with RSPCA the primary organisation for investigating animal cruelty. WA replaced the POCTA with the Animal Welfare Act in 2002. RSPCA inspectors are authorised to handle prosecutions.

It's important to note that these legislative changes have eradicated "the prevention of cruelty", replacing it with "animal welfare", which are two different issues.

In NSW, a terrible incident occurred at Wyee Point, with seven kangaroos found dead in multiple locations, suggesting a deliberate hit and run. The sole survivor, a joey, died in care.

The local mob of kangaroos had been loved by locals who are still traumatised and deeply concerned.

In South Australia, the State Government has been paying bounties between $5 and $7 for each kangaroo shot, with a minimum of 100. Since 2025, more than 80,000 kangaroos have been shot.

The purpose? 'To reduce grazing pressure'.

Australia will soon be known as the cruel country. But efforts to keep the exponentially increasing acts of cruelty, particularly against koalas and kangaroos, from mainstream and international media are significant.

Bottom line — the suffering of Australia’s defenceless wildlife is a crime against nature. Those who allow and weaken protection are equally responsible for the hideous acts which should shame any nation.