The scene at Bendeela camping ground on Saturday morning has been described as a “massacre” by a local wildlife carer.
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Kangaroo Valley resident Mark Cole of Wildlife Rescue South Coast said he and members of his group were heartbroken when confronted with eight dead wombats which had clearly been deliberately run down.
“To think that people could do this to these beautiful, and totally helpless creatures is heartbreaking,” Mr Cole said.
Mr Cole said the animals had clearly been mown down and their intestines were “strewn across the ground”.
He said some of them were obviously nursing mothers, and members of his group had returned to Bendeela over the weekend to search for the orphaned joeys.
So far they had only found one.
While police are investigating the incident, Mr Cole said this was not the first time such a cruel act had happened. He has called for better management of the popular campground and increased security.
“I believe there was security at the site on Friday night, but for some reason they were not alerted to a white four wheel drive hooning through the campground.”
He said campers had certainly seen and heard the vehicle.
Mr Cole said the management of the camping ground was a hot topic of discussion for valley residents.
He believes because the campground is free it attracts people who do not necessarily appreciate the area and its natural assets and wildlife.
Members of Wildlife Rescue South Coast routinely pick up joeys after their parents are killed by cars, with the process of raising them and returning them to the wild taking up to eighteen months.
“We go to an enormous amount of effort to care for these joeys. They are beautiful animals and incredibly intelligent. To have something like this happen is heartbreaking.”
Shoalhaven Local Area Command inspector Susan Charman-Horton would not reveal where the police investigation into the Kangaroo Valley wombat killings was up to, but did say they were determined to get to the bottom of it.
“It’s certainly not something we’re happy about,” she said.
“It’s pretty horrible to think someone might do this deliberately.
“It’s school holidays and there are families and children staying there.
“One of the main reasons we enjoy living in this region is the abundance of wildlife and we should treat that with care.
“We are seeking any information, if anyone has anything to enlighten us please get in touch.
“We are investigating and we want to get to the bottom of it,” Inspector Charman-Horton said.
Information can be passed on anonymously to Nowra Police by phoning 44219699.