Arrow attacks on animals on the rise

Survival-themed TV shows and moves, such as The Hunger Games, have been blamed for a spate of arrow attacks on animals across Queensland.

The RSPCA has recorded an increase in animals being treated for injuries sustained from crossbows and bow-and-arrows, weapons that feature prominently in productions such as The Hunger Games and The Walking Dead.

"It's a bit too much of a coincidence," RSCPA spokesman Michael Beatty told the Brisbane Times.

Last weekend, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital senior vet Michael Pyne treated an eastern grey kangaroo, which had been shot through the back and abdomen.

"When it got to us, the arrow had been in for at least five days and this poor thing had maggots crawling through its abdomen," Dr Pyne said. "It had no chance at all, it didn't make it."

However, despite the recent rise in arrow-related attacks, Dr Pyne said he would not blame pop culture.

"No doubt there are people out there that just don't appreciate the kind of suffering they can cause to animals."

Source: Brisbane Times

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Kieran Campbell