Australian authorities arrested a man for allegedly taking a platypus, now missing, on a train, CBS reported.
The 26-year-old suspect, accompanied by a woman, was spotted allegedly swaddling the wild animal in a towel Tuesday on a suburban train, according to CBS News.
Police in Australia launched a public appeal after a 26-year-old man was spotted on a suburban train with a wild platypus swaddled in a towel. https://t.co/zZs03UxK1Y
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 6, 2023
He is accused of violating animal protection laws by removing the platypus from a Morayfield waterway and traveling to a King Street shopping center in Caboolture, Australia, according to Queensland Police. The man and woman allegedly showcased the semi-aquatic species to shoppers.
CCTV footage also captured the man in possession of what appeared to be a platypus, according to Queensland Police.
Railway Squad officers located the male suspect in Caboolture following a public appeal the same day at 12:30 p.m. He was charged with two class one offenses and is due to appear at Caloundra Magistrates Court on April 8, according to police. (RELATED: Video Captures Escaped Zebra Running Through South Korean City)
Queensland conservation laws deem it illegal to take platypuses from their natural habit. Violators face a maximum fine of $430,000 AUD ($280,000 USD), CBS reported.
“Taking a platypus from the wild is not only illegal, but it can be dangerous for both the displaced animal and the person involved if the platypus is male as they have venomous spurs,” police said, the outlet reported. “If you are lucky enough to see a platypus in the wild, keep your distance.”
Native to Australia’s freshwater rivers, platypuses are rare monotremes facing a silent extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund