SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian animal welfare authorities launched a nationwide hunt on Thursday for a man filmed punching and kicking a kangaroo unconscious.
The video, which shows the man using kickboxing-styleattacks on the kangaroo as his friend laughs while filming, wassent to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Crueltyto Animals) in Western Australia state.
In one scene the man pulls the kangaroo towards him anduses his knee to hit the animal's chest and the man punches thekangaroo's face as the animal struggles to remain standing.
A final punch knocks the kangaroo to the ground where itappears to lay unconscious. It is unclear whether the attackresulted in the death of the animal, which authorities believewas injured, possibly in a car accident.
The RSPCA said it had launched a nationwide appeal to catchthe men responsible for the attack and video.
"We are appealing to every media outlet in Australia tohelp us track down the cowards behind the vicious attack onthis kangaroo," RSPCA spokesman Richard Barry told reporters.
"Thankfully this sickening footage has now been removedfrom the website where it was first seen. The next stage is toensure that those responsible for this film are brought tojustice," said Barry.
"Only a coward would attack an injured and obviouslyterrified young animal much smaller than himself. We want thesecowards to be caught, charged and prosecuted," he said.
(Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by David Fogarty)
