A man has been charged after allegedly using his 4WD to mow down a number of calves in a shocking act of animal cruelty.
The 21-year-old is accused of driving his Toyota Prado onto private farmland in Howatharra, near the coastal city of Geraldton, which is about five hours north of Perth, at about 2am on August 20.
He then allegedly ran down several three-month-old calves as they attempted to avoid being hit, police said.
At least eight calves were injured while one had to be euthanised.
The property had 90 cows and 86 calves.
Detective Superintendent Peter Foley said footage had been taken of the shocking alleged act.
‘We are aware of a video circulating online depicting what can only be described as an abhorrent act of animal cruelty,’ he told reporters.
‘The vision is confronting and we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously.
A number of calves were allegedly ran down by a driver in a 4WD vehicle on a private property north of Perth (stock image pictured)
‘Animal cruelty has no place in our society and is something that will not be tolerated.’
The 21-year-old was arrested at an address in the outer southern Perth suburb of Waikiki.
He has been charged with one count of animal cruelty and criminal damage or destruction of property.
The man is due to appear in Geraldton Magistrates Court on September 18.
Last month RSPCA inspectors were called out to investigate around 25 cows left dead in paddock in the southern Perth suburb of Oakford.
The owner of the property was reported to have been away.
His son told Seven News the cows had suffered pneumonia and could not be moved because of wet conditions.
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