Teens Allegedly Slaughter 14 Kangaroos In Disturbing Animal Cruelty Crime

Two teenagers have been charged after they allegedly killed more than a dozen kangaroos in New South Wales, Australia, over the weekend, police said Tuesday.

The two unnamed 17-year-old boys were arrested in the coastal New South Wales (NSW) town of Batemans Bay Monday for "allegedly deliberately killing 14 kangaroos," CNN reported, citing a statement from NSW police.

Authorities were called to the Long Beach area around 7 a.m. local time Saturday for reports that several kangaroos had been killed, police said. Officers from the South Coast Police District first located five dead adult kangaroos and one dead joey — the term for baby kangaroos — in the area.

Police were later notified that another seven dead kangaroos and one dead joey had been found in the Maloneys Beach area. Additionally, authorities also located one injured joey, which was taken into the care of the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES).

The kangaroo packs had been hit by a car, police told the BBC.

The teen suspects were arrested Monday evening following an investigation and a public appeal for information, according to the NSW police statement.

Authorities did not provide any information on the motive behind the alleged killings.

The two teens were charged Tuesday with recklessly beating and killing an animal. They were ​issued a Court Attendance Notice and are scheduled to appear at a children's court on Nov. 22, police said.

Under New South Wales law, anyone convicted of animal cruelty faces up to five years in jail and a fine of AUD$22,000 ($16,150).

WIRES, the largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation charity in Australia, said in a statement that it had been shocked by the killings, according to the BBC.

"This has left an indelible mark on our dedicated volunteers and local residents," the organization was quoted as saying.

Despite being one of Australia's cultural icons, kangaroos are hunted by those who want to use their flesh and skin or by farmers who want to pasture the area where they are found to graze other animals such as cattle and sheep, PETA claimed.

Around 1.34 million kangaroos were killed for the commercial industry in 2016, data provided by animal protection group Animals Australia showed.

Around 50,000 animal cruelty complaints are reportedly investigated in Australia each year by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a U.K.-based charity that promotes animal welfare.