A Victorian man who set out to harm native wildlife learned of his fate last week at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court.
The man, from Trafalgar in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, has been jailed for 18 months after he used mastiff cross dogs to hunt and kill native animals.
In addition to his sentence, the man was fined $15,000 and has also been banned from owning dogs as a result of his offending which spanned over a period of 21 months.
The convicted man admitted in court that 19 wombats, possums, eastern grey kangaroos and a deer had perished as a result of his criminal activity between 2018 and 2020.
The man also admitted to engaging in felonious conduct against deer with a firearm twelve times.
The conviction follows a four-month investigation by the Conservation Regulator which uncovered disturbing footage the man had recorded. Some footage showed the man goading as many as three dogs at a time to violently charge at animals.
The man pleaded guilty to numerous charges which included 53 counts of cruelty and hunting offences under the Wildlife Act 1975 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
With the convicted man to serve a non-parole period of 15 months, Chief Conservation Regulator Kate Gavens said today the case illustrates that individuals who commit offences against wildlife will face the long arm of the law.
"This disturbing case should serve as a warning that penalties apply to anyone who chooses to treat wildlife with cruelty.”