Time.news – Two people are wanted by the police after being spotted at a train station north of Brisbane, Australia, with arm a small platypus wrapped in a towel. Police said the mammal has been removed from its natural habitat in the north state of Queensland and needs to be “released” as soon as possible.
“We are concerned for the welfare of this animal which has been removed from its natural environment,” Queensland Police Commissioner Scott Knowles told reporters. The authorities have also expressed concern for the kidnappers: the male platypus is venomous and has a spur that causes excruciating pain when in contact with human flesh.
CCTV photos show a man in flip flops walking along the platform of a north Brisbane train station while carrying the platypus – the size of a kitten – under his arm. The man and woman then wrapped the animal in a bath towel, petting it and showing it to the other passengers.
Queensland conservation laws prohibit the taking of platypuses from the wild, with a maximum fine of A$430,000 (€264,000). A nocturnal and shy animal, the platypus, one of the few mammals that lays eggs, is now found only in eastern Australia. It feeds on worms, insects and small crustaceans. With a short beaver-like tail and a duck-like beak, British scientists thought it was a joke when they first saw it in the late 18th century.