A brushtail possum and its baby joey have died after being shot with an arrow in Adelaide, prompting RSPCA calls for public help to track down the person involved.
The possum was found alive with the arrow still protruding from its body at suburban Aberfoyle Park earlier this month.
It had been living inside the garage of a local resident before the attack and was found clinging to the top of the roller door.
However it died soon after from its injuries and the joey in its pouch also died.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis said the animal's suffering would have been horrific due to the trauma and damage to tissues and organs caused by the arrow passing through its body.
"This animal's death was neither rapid nor humane," she Lewis said.
"Aside from being an illegal act, there is no justification for using a method of killing that causes this kind of extreme and protracted suffering."
Under SA's Animal Welfare Act, anyone found guilty of an aggravated cruelty offence could face up to four years in jail or a $50,000 fine.
Possums are a protected species under South Australia's National Parks and Wildlife Act with a permit required to capture, release or kill one.
