A police officer who was caught on camera throwing rocks at a wombat, and bragging that he had killed it, is under investigation by South Australian police.
The video, uploaded to Facebook, shows a shirtless man launching an unprovoked attack on a wombat as it runs away.
Egged on by his friend, the man chases the wombat on a dirt road, throwing rocks at its head until it falls over.
“You killed him, bro,” his friend says.
The SA police commissioner, Grant Stevens, told the ABC that the man in the video was an off-duty police officer.
In an earlier statement, SA police said they were investigating the video.
“SAPOL can confirm they are taking the situation very seriously and are closely examining the video,” they said.
“An inquiry is being undertaken into this matter to first formally identify the man; and then take appropriate action as required.”
The Wombat Awareness Organisation, which made the video public, has started a change.org petition calling for the perpetrator to be prosecuted.
It had received more than 6,000 signatures in five hours.
