A man has been charged following an investigation into an alleged act of animal cruelty at Eastwood.
On Tuesday 28 March 2023, officers from Ryde Police Area Command received calls regarding a man who had allegedly captured an Ibis bird outside Eastwood Railway Station.
Police were told the man allegedly tied a rope around the bird's feet and neck and was trying to place the bird into a wheeled red trolley bag.
Members of the public intervened and managed to take the bird from the man, who left the area prior to police arrival.
Witnesses have told police the bird appeared to have an injured beak and was bleeding. The bird flew away before the arrival of police and WIRES officers.
Following further inquiries, investigators attended a home at Beauchamp Road in Maroubra about 9.30pm yesterday (Friday 31 March 2023).
A 60-year-old-man was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where he was charged with two counts of harm or attempt to harm a protected animal and commit an act of cruelty upon an animal.
He was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court today (Saturday 1 April 2023).
The white Australian Ibis, sometimes referred to as a bin chicken, is a protected species under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and as such, cannot be harmed or interfered with; doing so constitutes an offence under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
