TikTok user laughs as he rams possum out of tree with ute
Video shared to social media platform TikTok of a driver ramming a possum out of a tree is being investigated amid online outrage.
The footage was posted on Monday amid heightened public awareness of wildlife preservation resulting from devastation caused by bushfires.
The short clip, filmed at night, shows a ute with a bullbar and its headlights on facing a tree.
“Possum in the tree,” says the man behind the camera.
The ute then drives at the tree, hitting it with a loud thud.
The tree is knocked forward and a small creature is thrown to the ground, narrowly missing a fence.
The man behind the camera laughs.
“Down goes the possum,” he says.
Many of the responses to the video were critical with one person asking “Why the hell would you do that?”
“Yeah… not cool,” wrote another person.
“Bro that’s not funny,” said someone else.
Another person called for the man’s licence to be revoked.
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The man who posted the video, who is believed to live in Victoria, responded to the comments by saying that the possum had survived.
“The possum is fine lol,” he wrote.
Victorian government investigating
The post, which has been viewed more than 2000 times has attracted a number of comments from people entertained by the act, but animals rights group PETA were not amused.
PETA spokesperson Aleesha Naxakis said she wants to see the person who hit the ute prosecuted.
“There’s something wrong with people who think it’s funny to scare and hurt defenceless animals,” she told Yahoo News Australia.
“They need to be caught, prosecuted, and as part of their sentence be given sensitivity training so that they understand the fear and suffering of other beings.”
A spokesperson for the Victorian department of environment (DELWP) confirmed in writing that the Conservation Regulator is investigating the incident.
“All native wildlife is protected in Victoria. It is an offence to kill, take, control or harm wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Severe penalties, including imprisonment and fines, apply to those found guilty of an offence under the Wildlife Act.”
DELWP has requested that anyone with information should contact them on 136 186.
Following publication of this article TikTok advised that the video had been removed, stating that it violated their community guidelines.
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