Residents of a quiet lakeside suburb have been traumatised by the death of seven kangaroos believed to have been mowed down by a passing vehicle.
The mob living around Wyee Point on the NSW Central Coast had delighted both locals and tourists visiting the suburb. But, on the morning of March 17, one of the residents made a frightening discovery, finding the bodies of seven roos on two different streets.
One of the first residents to discover the carnage told Yahoo News that more than a week later, people in the area are still feeling unsafe and angry.
“I’ve been distraught to be brutally honest, and my mum has been almost in tears,” they said, requesting not to be named but referred to by the pseudonym Casey.
Do you know more about this incident? Email: michael.dahlstrom@yahooinc.com.
Wildlife rescuers were traumatised by what they witnessed. Source: WIRES
The kangaroos were found at multiple locations on the streets of Wyee. Source: Supplied
Casey said the horrific scene from last week remains fresh in their mind.
The 23-year-old was returning from working the night shift, when a call came through from a family member about the kangaroos having been struck.
Casey drove to the area to check if there were any still alive.
“They appeared to be all dead. There were no skid marks,” Casey said.
“There was just roo blood all over the road.”
What was particularly unnerving was that the bodies were found at separate locations, indicating they had likely been deliberately struck by a vehicle.
The first four were found dead on Wymeera Circuit, and a further three were later discovered hundreds of metres away on Larapinta Drive.
More than a week after seven kangaroos were struck in Wyee, locals remain traumatised. Source: Supplied
Driving or walking around the suburb at night, Casey is now always concerned about who else might be in the area, and whether they pose a danger to animals or even humans.
They’re particularly concerned about their younger sibling, who has only just started driving and may not know how to respond to a large vehicle being driven erratically on the road.
On Wednesday, police confirmed with Yahoo News that no charges have been laid and that investigations are continuing.
Earlier, police made a plea for public help to find those responsible.
“Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District urge anyone with information about the incident or CCTV from the area to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” it said.
Locals and tourists shattered by loss of kangaroos
For years, the local mob of kangaroos had been loved by locals, and many have taken to social media to vent their anger, calling those responsible “scumbags” and “lowlifes”.
Others said they had become suspicious of their neighbours and vowed to check for signs of damage on vehicles in the area.
“People are quite upset about what’s happened,” Casey said, noting that locals who have lived in the suburb for decades have never witnessed anything so alarming.
“The kangaroos hang out there all the time. Tourists come and watch them at the bottom of our street.”
Children watch over kangaroo survivor
WIRES attended the scene to check the kangaroo pouches for survivors.
Volunteer rescuer Julie Hunter coordinated the rescue and said those who attended were left “deeply traumatised”.
“It was a horrific sight, there was just one animal, then another, and another — it just went on and on,” she explained.
Rescuers worked to save the life of a surviving pinky joey. Source: WIRES
One furless joey was found inside one pouch, but despite the best efforts of carers, it didn’t survive the night, taking the death toll to eight.
They also discovered an orphaned 10 to 11-month-old joey, which was likely still dependent on its mother, which they were unable to catch.
“It was hanging around, grieving because it knew something had happened to its mum,” Hunter said.
“They’re deeply sentient animals, kangaroos, with a strong family bond, so the whole mob will have been in tremendous stress.”
It’s thought the surviving 10 to 11-month-old joey will need to be euthanised. Source: WIRES
Locals have been monitoring the juvenile since its mother was killed, but they’ve noticed a steep decline in its health.
“We were called back late yesterday afternoon,” Hunter said.
“Some children were staying with him until the rescuers arrived, and were able to point them in the right direction.”
The rescuers were able to get closer this time, and it was clearly suffering significant injuries consistent with a car strike.
The team will return again tonight, but they fear it may need to be euthanised, taking the death toll to nine.
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