A man has been filmed biting chunks of fur and flesh out of a possum's rump in one of several disturbing animal attacks that have surfaced in Queensland.
The RSPCA has shared footage of four attacks, all involving possums. The most disturbing one showing a young man being egged on by his mates as he bites and chews flesh torn from one animal with his teeth.
A disturbing video shared by RSPCA shows man biting a possum. Source: AAP
The mammal's leg was moving and it appeared to be alive.
In another incident, a possum caught in a net is hurled to a waiting pack of dogs that tear it to pieces.
The RSPCA also has photos and videos of two other attacks.
Footage shared by the RSPCA of another attack. Source: AAP
One involves a man dragging a possum from a tree, slamming it into a wall and then throwing it into the bush. The other involves two young women proudly posing with rifles and a dead possum.
"These are quite deliberate and premeditated acts of animal cruelty and show a complete lack of empathy," RSPCA Queensland spokesperson Michael Beatty says.
"Without meaning to sound too melodramatic the links between this type of cruelty and acts of violence toward humans have been well researched over the years."
Critically-endangered mountain pygmy-possums. Source: AAP
The RSPCA said it was impossible to say if acts of cruelty were on the rise, or if people were just more willing to report it.
The organisation has urged anyone with information about the incidents to contact the police.
