Brutal killing of a beloved kookaburra deemed not to be an offence by RSPCA
A pub-goer has shocked fellow patrons by allegedly ripping the head off a beloved kookaburra named Kevin in an overly aggressive reaction to the bird taking some chips.
The man, in his 40s, was dining at Parkerville Tavern when he reportedly became so enraged that he grabbed Kevin, tore him apart from the neck and threw him on the ground.
According to Perth Now, a woman named Chantelle was nearby with her eight and ten year old children when the incident occurred.
“Kevin had flown down onto this bloke’s plate and the bloke grabbed him and I went, ‘Oh my god, he’s got him’, and then he sort of just hesitated for a moment, like seconds, and then put his hands quickly under the table and just ripped his head off,” she told the publication.
“The bird squawked when he grabbed it, obviously, but the sound of that... it was just horrible and I was just instantly on my feet. It all erupted then, people were very, very angry and yelling abuse at him.”
Other patrons were shocked and demanded the man leave, but he lashed out and told them to “f*** off”.
The incident was then reported to RSPCA WA but the organisation has come out in a statement saying that under Western Australia law, the act does not constitute an offence.
“It was reported to the RSPCA Cruelty Hotline last night that a visitor to the tavern killed Kevin in front of other visitors including families with children. An RSPCA WA Inspector has made inquiries. Sadly, right now under Western Australian law, it does not appear that this horrific act constitutes an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2002,” RSPCA WA said in a statement.
“Animal Welfare law in WA is based on cruelty and suffering, and due to the quick nature of this bird's demise, it does not appear to meet the level of suffering required to become an offence under the law. Because of that, RSPCA WA Inspectors may not be able to prosecute for animal cruelty.”
The RSPCA WA then went on to announce a review to the current Animal Welfare Act, inviting submissions from the public to help enact the change.
The pub has expressed its sadness over the death of Kevin, saying that the incident is “not the norm and will not be tolerated”.
“RIP Kevin. We are still in disbelief about the barbaric attack on one of nature’s gifts. We are so sorry for those who witnessed this despicable act and whilst for many (especially the children) the memory of seeing such a thing will remain fresh for some time yet, please take comfort in knowing that the whole community is standing together against this type of behaviour,” the post read.
“This is not the norm and will not be tolerated. The matter is being dealt with by the authorities, so we will know more about what the outcome will be soon. Thank you for everyone’s support. Such a beautiful community.”
However, at the time of writing, the pub has released another post and taken the original post down.
“As you may have noticed, we have removed the post about the loss of Kevin, our resident Kookaburra, and whilst the investigation is underway, we kindly ask that no further comments regarding the incident are made on our page. We are awaiting further information from the police and will know more soon.”