Wildlife authorities are searching for three men who allegedly attacked a defenseless penguin before a heroic bystander intervened.
A member of the public saw the youths allegedly kicking the little penguin at tram stop number 136 in St Kilda, Melbourne, at 11.30pm on December 8.
The witness “annoyed” the group and relocated the penguin to the beach near St Kilda Pier, Crime Stoppers told Daily Mail Australia.
They reported the incident to local authorities, who then alerted the Victorian Conservation Regulator.
A member of the public reported seeing three men allegedly kicking a little penguin at the number 136 tram stop in St Kilda, Melbourne, on December 8 last year.
The Conservation Regulator has released CCTV footage of the three men believing it will help with their investigation.
Crime Stoppers Victoria executive director Stella Smith described the incident as appalling and said it was important those responsible were found and punished.
“It’s disturbing behaviour,” Ms Smith said.
‘The community is always outraged when they see people hurting innocent animals.
“It’s important to find them because we don’t want this to happen again and they need to understand that their behavior is absolutely unacceptable.”
It is illegal to disturb or destroy wildlife in Victoria.
Maximum penalties range from $3,846 to $48,077 or 12 months in prison.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Victorian Conservation Regulator for comment.
The Conservation Regulator has released CCTV footage of the three men believing it will help with their investigation.