The deliberate killing of 14 kangaroos in New South Wales, Australia, has sparked an investigation in the state situated on the western coast of Australia.

The New South Wales police have reported that over two dozen kangaroos were found dead Saturday morning at two sites near Batemans Bay.

Officials found five dead kangaroos and a dead joey in Blairs Road and Sandy Place after receiving several reports about several kangaroos lying dead on the beach. 

Police have been notified of seven other dead adult kangaroos and one joey in the Maloneys Beach area.

Initial inquiries suggest that someone deliberately killed the kangaroos, although the investigation had not reached a conclusion. 

The police department is currently thoroughly examining CCTV footage and investigating a number of witnesses while urging locals to come forward with any relevant information.

Two white vans have been spotted between 10 pm on Friday and 12:30 am on Saturday (local time) around the sites where the dead kangaroos have been found. The police are asking for information on the drivers of the vehicles.

The police believe the drivers could be relevant to the investigation or assist with it.

A Declining Kangaroo Investigation

The dead kangaroos have been found at a time when experts around the globe warn about the falling kangaroo population. The NSW kangaroo population alone is estimated to have plummeted by 25.5%.

Surveys have suggested that the marsupials' population alarmingly decreased by 3.5 million kangaroos, as there were 14 million in 2019 and 10.5 million in 2020.

The kangaroo population has been decreasing due to several factors, with the most prominent ones being the climate crisis and increased animal cruelty.

Partly due to its vast kangaroo population, approximately 3 million adult kangaroos are killed in Australia per year.