By Alesha Capone
A goat shot with a bow and arrow in the You Yangs National Park has been euthanased by Parks Victoria rangers.
A bushwalker found the injured goat, with the arrow still lodged in its body, on Sunday, June 23.
Parks Victoria Western Basalt district manager Paul Wallace said his organisation had been told of an incident involving a feral goat being shot by a member of the public with a bow and arrow.
“The incident was attended by two park rangers who euthanased the animal,” he said.
“Parks Victoria has been in communication with Victoria Police and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
“Causing animals to suffer can be a criminal offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.”
The bushwalker who found the goat posted about the incident on a Point Cook community Facebook page, writing that whoever shot the goat had left it to “suffer”.
In Victoria, a person found guilty of cruelty to animals can face a maximum of 12 months in jail or a fine of up to $40,297.50.
Under law, the definition of animal cruelty can include wounding, mutilating, torturing, tormenting or terrifying an animal; causing or endangering pain or suffering; and failing to provide treatment.
