Kangaroos tortured in 'most disturbing' case of animal cruelty ever seen by Australian officials

“It’s graphic, it’s disturbing, it’s cowardly,” says Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Giuffre

Police want to identify men seen in mobile phone footage (Western Australia Police Force )

Police are investigating the "disturbing" torture and killing of two kangaroos in western Australia.

Detectives told Australian media the deaths were the worst acts of animal cruelty they had ever seen. Knives and knuckle dusters are believed to have been used to torture the marsupials.

Western Australian Police Force is looking for help identifying several men wanted for questioning after examining video footage of the horrific attacks on the animals.

“It’s graphic, it’s disturbing, it’s cowardly,” Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Giuffre said of the footage recovered from a single phone.

The first killing took place on 19 May this year. Video reportedly shows a small kangaroo being burned, punched and stabbed before it is shot with a firearm. The suspected attackers are seen wearing knuckle dusters.

The second killing happened the following month, on 16 June. Footage reportedly shows a kangaroo getting repeatedly stabbed before it is killed.

The force is now asking for help to identify the men seen in the clips. One of the men, seen pixelated in the released photos, has been identified by police but he has not been charged.

The video was found on the identified man’s phone in relation to a separate investigation, Australia's ABC News reported.

Detectives are still looking for three others. The first man (main image above) is described as between 20 and 30 years of age, fair skinned with dark facial hair. He was wearing a black beanie with a white emblem on the front and a black hooded top.

Police are appealing for help in identifying men seen in clips (Western Australia Police Force)

The second man (above, left) is described as between 25 and 30 years of age, fair skinned with short brown hair and clean shaven. He was wearing a black hooded top.

The third man (above, right) is also described as between 25 and 30 years of age, fair skinned with facial hair. He was wearing a dark coloured top with an emblem on the front and writing on the sleeves.

The animal cruelty case follows the arrest of a 20-year-old man in Australia’s Victoria state for deliberately mowing down a group of emus in his four-wheel drive.

Footage of the attack on a dozen of the birds was posted on social media.

The man – heard shouting “f***ing emus” as he drove into them – was charged with several animal cruelty offences.