Driver Laughs While Running Over Emus, Disturbing Video Goes Viral

A disturbing video surfaced Thursday showing a driver laughing while running over emus on a dirt road. The viral video sparked condemnation and a manhunt was launched to locate him.

The sickening video shows the man yelling "this is great" and counting as he hit each bird. The incident took place on a rural road in Australia. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals posted the video in a bid to find the man.

In the footage, the mustachioed man smashed over the emus before he appears to turn the camera on his own face. More than 10 emus appear to be hit and left for dead. The driver was wearing sunglasses and a cap. The video goes on for about 40 seconds with the man hitting the emus. At the end of the video, the man turns the camera to face him and films himself laughing uncontrollably.

"Such horrific cruelty has no place in our society," the animal welfare organization said in a statement, urging people to identify the man. "The RSPCA unequivocally condemns this type of behavior as it clearly shows a disregard for the lives of these vulnerable native animals and raises grave concerns about this individual's capacity for such behavior."

A New South Wales police spokeswoman said they were examining the video to establish where it was filmed.

"We're all just trying to figure out where it's happened so we can then move to see if we will investigate," she said.

The video, which was viewed thousands of times, drew outrage from social media users.