Brush turkey that was cruelly spray-painted hot pink and left to die with a broken leg and wing is euthanised - as animal rights groups offer $2,000 to catch the culprits
- A brush turkey that was found spray-painted pink has had to be euthanised
- The public found the bird on Wednesday morning in Cotton Tree in Queensland
- A wildlife rescue volunteer captured the bird and took it to Australia Zoo
- The injuries the bird sustained from the incident meant it wouldn't have survived
- RSPCA are investigating and PETA have offered up to $2,000 for information
Wildlife groups are in uproar after a brush turkey was found with pink spray-paint coating its entire body - and it had to be euthanised as a result of the toxins.
The sickly bird was spotted in Cotton Tree on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday morning by a member of the public who notified Queensland's wildlife rescue organisation Wilvos.
Volunteer Keith Porteous responded to the call and found the juvenile bird hiding in the bushes, explaining in a later social media post that he was appalled by the attack carried out on the defenceless turkey.
Mr Porteous captured the bird and transported it to Australia Zoo, where the brush turkey was thoroughly checked over.
Volunteer Keith Porteous took the bird to Australia Zoo for assessments, but it had to be euthanised due to the severity of the injuries
It had suffered a broken wing and leg and ultimately had to be euthanised because the toxic spray had interfered with its beak, face and feathers.
Australia Zoo wildlife vet Dr Ludo Valenza told the ABC: 'The spray-paint was on the entirety of the feathers including the head as well, so it looks like someone's gone in and intentionally grabbed this animal and spray-painted it and unfortunately caused some severe injuries to it as well.'
Dr Valenza said the bird wouldn't have been able to live with its injuries in the wild.
Mr Porteous believes that the bird had been spray-painted the day before it was found as the paint was very dry.
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The brush turkey was seen by members of the public on Wednesday on the Sunshine Coast and reported it to Wilvos
'It's extremely heartbreaking to think that someone has gone out of their way to injure an animal that really can't fend for itself,' said Dr Valenza.
Mr Porteous, who also assists Wildlife Noosa in capturing brush turkeys, said he hadn't seen many shameful and senseless acts like this 'thankfully' and reported the incident to the RSPCA.
An RSPCA Queensland spokesperson told the Daily Mail Australia: 'Our Inspectorates have received a report about this case and are investigating. Anyone that has information about how the turkey came to be in this state is urged to contact RSPCA.'
PETA, an animal rights group, has announced a reward of up to $2,000 'for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who allegedly covered a juvenile brush turkey with bright pink spray paint and left the bird for dead.'
A PETA spokesperson said: 'Someone in the area must have seen or heard something related to this horrific incident.
'A person capable of deliberately causing such suffering to a helpless animal demonstrates a deeply worrying psychological state and must be found.'
RSPCA Queensland are investigating the incident, while PETA has announced a reward of up to $2,000 for information
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