Sickening video emerges of two boys torturing a small joey

Two heartless teenage boys caught on camera abusing a small kangaroo in Western Australia on Friday afternoon have been charged with animal cruelty.

Sickening footage emerged of the youths, aged 13 and 16, approaching the helpless marsupial in the Kimberly Region, with one of them cruelly slapping it in the face.

Halls Creek police identified the culprits responsible for torturing the joey, but told 9NEWS that the boys were not home when officers first spoke with their parents.

In the video, the second boy then grabs the animal by the tail and tries to drag it along the ground, before the first boy then forcefully punches the cowering animal.

As the animal tries to escape, one of the teens chases it into a wire fence, repeatedly punching, hitting and kicking at the animal.

Before the video ends, one of the boys appears to be trying to strangle the kangaroo at it struggles in vain to get away from the thugs.

Two boys were filmed cruelly kicking and chasing a small kangaroo during the sickening attack

‘The families of the two boys were spoken to last night, however the boys were not present at the time,’ police said in a statement. 

‘One of those two boys has since been located and is currently being interviewed by officers.’ 

The teens were charged on Saturday with cruelty to animals and scheduled to appear in Halls Creek Magistrates Court on January 10.

Police believe they know who filmed the attack and say the investigation is ongoing.