Horrifying video emerges of man ripping head off a duck
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: Horrifying video has emerged showing a man ripping a duck’s head off in suburban NSW.
Posted to social media on Saturday, the incident is alleged to have occurred in front of a club in the Southern Highlands.
The footage shows two men running haphazardly along a road and across a lawn.
One of the pair, who is wearing hi-vis then dives onto a duck which appears to be lying motionless on the ground.
He then raises the bird into the air and hands it to his companion, who is wearing a grey T-shirt and baseball cap.
In one swift move, the man rips off the duck's head and slams its body to the ground.
The camera zooms in as the man plays with its decapitated head, opening and closing its beak.
WIRES distressed by 'violent death of defenceless bird'
Australians wood ducks are monogamous and form a close social bond with their partner.
Parents will work together to feed their young and eat a grass and clover based diet, but will take the occasional insect.
They are widespread across Australia and flourish in a variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands and wetlands.
Wood ducks are just one of the many native species WIRES care for, with volunteers often spending months working to raise orphaned or injured birds.
A spokesperson from the wildlife rescue group labelled the video distressing and called on anyone with information about the incident to contact authorities.
"It is always distressing to witness or find any animal that has been subjected to deliberate cruelty, especially incidents like this which appears to feature the violent death of a defenceless bird," a WIRES spokesperson said.
"All Australian native species are protected by law and anyone witnessing cruelty to an animal or suspect that they may have information in relation to this incident should contact the Police or the RSPCA.”
Police call for public help to identify persons of interest
NSW Police began investigating the incident after the video was shared with wildlife rescue group WIRES.
They released two stills from the video on Wednesday which show the faces of two men they believe can assist them with their inquiries.
Police described both men as being Caucasian in appearance, with one slim and the other medium build.
They said initial investigations indicate two men chased a flock of wild ducks in the car park, before one was caught and decapitated by one of the men.
As authorities continue to investigate they are calling on anyone who has footage of the incident to contact Goulburn Detectives on (02) 4824 0736 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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