- A dead koala has been discovered screwed to a pole in a Queensland park
- Koala was found on Wednesday at Brooloo Park, north-west of Sunshine Coast
- It is unknown if the koala was dead at the time it was screwed onto the pole
- Anyone with information about the culprits is urged to contact police
The RSPCA have launched an investigation after a dead koala was found screwed to a pole at a park north of Brisbane.
Koala Rescue Queensland responded to a report of a koala climbing a wooden gazebo but on closer inspection, the koala was found dead and screwed in place at Brooloo Park Lookout, near Gympie on Wednesday.
RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said they are working to retrieve the body from Gympie Regional Council, whose officers took the animal down.
‘Koalas are in enough danger from habitat destruction to dog attacks – who in their right mind would do this,’ Mr Beatty said.
The RSPCA have launched an investigation after a dead koala was found screwed to a pole at a park north of Brisbane (pictured)
The act left wildlife rescuers feeling sick to the stomach.
‘I feel sick, like throwing up,’ Koala Rescue Queensland spokesman Murray Chambers told AAP on Thursday.
He said the attack on a ‘vulnerable’ and ‘innocent’ animal showed no respect for Australian wildlife.
The rescue team was headed to the park on Thursday to conduct tests and determine if the male koala was dead or alive when it was placed there.
Unfortunately, the incident is not a one-off with the team often faced with distressing acts such as koalas being shot or beheaded.
Fellow team member Ray Chambers said there was a need for stronger penalties for animal cruelty to stop this ‘horrid’ behaviour.
‘The whole thing is just wrong,’ he said.
‘We want answers.’
Koala Rescue Queensland staff said the body has been removed and an investigation is underway