Man kills kangaroo in horror knife attack, faces two years in jail

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING

A man in Australia has been charged after horrifying video footage emerged of him cutting the throat of a kangaroo.

The video, which has been viewed more than four million times since being posted online, shows the 43-year-old repeatedly cutting the throat of the poor animal with a hunting knife.

The Eastern Grey kangaroo, a protected species, can be even heard growling in pain as it is attacked.

Police in Melbourne arrested the man earlier this week and he since appeared in court.

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He faces up to two years in jail and a substantial fine.

The disturbing footage shows the man armed with a knife approaching the wounded animal, which is sprawled on the floor.

He then violently grabs the kangaroo and pins it down with his right foot.

The man then starts slashing at the poor beast, stabbing it dozens of times, and is heard to say: ‘Just face it, that’s your fate, let me finish this as early as I can.’ Others can be heard laughing in the background.

Other reports claim he first cut off a leg of the kangaroo before killing it.

The footage ends with the attacker boasting about his kill.

The video came to light after it went viral in China.

Some reports claim the attacker was a ‘Chinese Australian’ and it was after people complained in China that the man was subsequently held.

The attack has been described as ‘abhorrent’ by Australian officials.

‘The wildlife offences captured in this video are particularly abhorrent,’ said environment department spokesman Glenn Sharp.

‘We’d like to thank members of the public who came forward with information about the alleged offences and enabled us to act quickly in response.’