Qld soldier charged over possum attack

A north Queensland soldier is set to face court over claims he smashed a possum against a concrete floor before being photographed with the injured animal.

The RSPCA alleges the 23-year-old had been drinking when the incident happened at the army barracks in Townsville on April 30.

The man will face Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday charged with animal cruelty, an offence which carries a maximum fine of $220,000 and three years in jail.

An RSPCA spokesman said a photo of the man holding the bleeding animal was sent to a number of people.

The possum, which was also hit against a tree, was eventually released but it is not known whether it survived.