Three platypus carcasses have been found in the Albury botanic gardens in New South Wales over the past month. It is being treated as a bizarre, attention-seeking case of cruelty toward native wildlife.
Australia's National Parks and Wildlife Service is currently searching for a suspected platypus killer following the discovery of three carcasses in the Aubury botanic gardens over the last five weeks.
All three animals were reported to be of a healthy body weight, suggesting they had been deliberately caught in a manmade trap.
Two of the bodies appeared to were fully decapitated - albeit with some difficulty - with a sharp object.
The first platypus was found in early March by a gardener, while the other two were found by members of the public, most recently on Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for the botanic gardens said the incident is being treated as a case of animal cruelty.
"These animals appear to have been deliberately killed in a despicable act of cruelty to one of Australia's most loved animals."
Authorities are asking visitors in the area to be mindful of any suspicious activity.
A reward of 5,000 Australian dollars (3,500 euros) is currently being offered by the Humane Society International Australia for any information leading to arrests.
Harming native animals in New South Wales carries a maximum penalty of six months jail and/or a fine up to 11,000 Australian dollars.
Platypus are difficult to spot in the wildImage: picture alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library/ardea.com/J.Ferrero
Killer 'wanted to be noticed'
Hazel Cook, the secretary of the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service in Murray River, told local newspaper "The Border Mail" that the perpetrator appeared to want the dead animals to be found.
The closest platypus habitat is nearby Murray River, about half a kilometer away from the botanic gardens, meaning the carcasses had been purposely transported to and discarded in a busy public area.
"It's just sad," said Cook, "I think they need some help."
"We have no idea why anyone would do that, especially to something as gentle as a platypus. Even the fact that someone caught three of them is concerning."
The platypus, an unusual mammal with a furry body and a beak like a duck, is well-known for its elusive nature, and is rarely spotted in the wild.
Protected species
While the platypus is not yet considered endangered, it is classified as a protected species under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.
The platypus is native to eastern Australia, including Tasmania, and is extinct in South Australia.
im/sad (AFP)
Australian mammals disappearing at alarming rate
More mammal species are going extinct in Australia than in any other world region, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. And it's not due to habitat loss or hunting.
Image: Imago/UIG
Bounding wallabies abound?
Australia is well-known for being the home of distinctive land mammals, including the wallaby. But four species of the bounding mammal have become extinct since Europeans settled on the continent in 1788. No longer to be seen are the kuluwarri, eastern hare-wallaby, toolache wallaby and crescent nailtail wallaby.
Image: L. Robayo/AFP/GettyImages
Rodents hit hardest
The 29 extinct Australian mammal species on the study's list comprise 35 percent of the world's modern mammal extinctions. The decline hasn't been across the board for all mammalian species, though. Along with marsupials, the hardest hit include rodents, like this hopping-mouse.
Image: Imago/UIG
Newcomer to the sad list
One of the most recent additions to the researchers' extinction list is the Bramble Cay melomys, a burrowing rodent that became extinct some time between 2006 and 2014.
Image: Queensland Government
Escape to the skies
Bat species have been pretty lucky, showing relatively low rates of decline over the past 20 years. But a couple still made the extinction list, including the Lord Howe Long-eared Bat.
Image: Imago/UIG
Away from the prying eyes of humans
On top of the extinct Australian land mammals, 21 percent of the continent's 273 land mammals are threatened. Scientists think the rate of loss - around one or two extinctions per decade - is likely to continue. Counterintuitively, much of the decline has occurred in areas only sparsely populated by humans.
Image: Reuters
Survival outside of Australia
Although gone from Australia, this egg-laying, milk-producing mammal escaped complete extinction from the face of the Earth. The Western Long-beaked Echidna survives in New Guinea, but is critically endangered.
Image: picture-alliance/Mary Evans/Ardea
Hunted to extinction
In contrast, only one native land mammal in North America - the sea mink - became extinct during the same time period. The animal, prized for its reddish fur and bushy tail, was hunted to extinction, unlike his thriving cousin, the American Mink (pictured above).
Image: cc-by-sa-Pdreijnders
Common pressures in other regions
Hunting, habitat loss and impacts of human development are most to blame for species extinction on other continents, especially where human populations are increasing.
Image: Getty Images
European red fox, an introduced predator
But these factors don't apply in the Australian case, scientists believe, since most extinctions there occurred in remote areas - far from human population centers. Instead, scientists think the loss of Australian land mammals is primarily due to predation by introduced species, like the European red fox.
Image: imago/blickwinkel
Feral cat: extinction threat number one
Another prolific killer is the feral cat, found in most habitats across Australia. The researchers believe that feral cats pose the highest threat to native mammal species. They contribute greatly to the disappearance of many ground-dwelling mammals on the mainland.
Image: Fotolia/vlorzor
Hope in the waters
There's a bit of hope left in Australia's dismal numbers: Scientists say the country's marine mammals have fared better overall. But they've added a precaution: research has been impeded by a lack of information, since it's harder to collect data in water than on land.
