Wildlife Victoria volunteer and rescuer Helen Round said she received the report from a Scarsdale mother who was visiting the Cape Clear and District Lions Park with her children. 

Ms Round said the kangaroos, one which had been gutted and one garrotted, were dumped at rose bushes near a toilet in a place where the public, including children using the playground, could clearly see. 

THE PHOTOS CAN BE SEEN IN THE GALLERY BELOW

“The link between violence towards animals and later with humans is clear and evident,” she said.  

“This is one sick individual and the fact they laid them out for children and people to find shows a really disturbed and sick pathology. This person needs to be caught.”

A BADGAR emergency wildlife rescuer attended the scene on Sunday. Police and the Department of Land, Environment, Water and Planning (DELWP) have been notified of the incident and are investigating further. 

Head of BADGAR Emergency Wildlife Rescue Donna Zabinskas said there had been other cases of deliberate harm to kangaroos in the Ballarat region in the past year. 

She said there was a similar mutilation of kangaroos near Enfield a few months ago, and an incident where kangaroo heads were found at Victoria Park in Ballarat last year. 

“We have a lot more attacks on the swans around Lake Wendouree, with people ploughing them down and mutilating them,” Ms Zabinskas said. 

“There is enough cases in and around the area to be extremely concerned. But even one case for us is extremely distressing.”

All native wildlife are protected in Victoria and it is an offence to kill, take, control, or harm wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975. 

The maximum penalty for hunting, taking or destroying protected wildlife without a permit is $7773 or six months’ imprisonment or both, according to DELWP.

The penalties for anyone found guilty of cruelty to an animal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTAA) can include fines up to $77,730 or two years imprisonment, RSPCA Victoria Western region team leader Sharna Fitt said.

Contact Ballarat Police on 5336 6000 or DELWP on 136 186 if you know any information relating to the incident.