Police have become a hot topic after police are publicly wanted to catch the perpetrator who caught the platypus in Australia.
On Jan. 6, CNN and local media reported that Mr. A, a 26-year-old man, was accused of unauthorized capture of a platypus in Morayfield, Queensland, Australia.
Mr. A stated that he and his group caught a platypus in the waterway, then took the train to the next village and showed the platypus to the people.
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Known for its distinctive duck-shaped beak, the platypus is native to eastern Australia and is a legally protected rare animal in Australia.
Australian police immediately launched a search operation after learning that the platypus had disappeared from its habitat and switched to public wanted on its website and social media on Jan. 5.
Australian police and environmental authorities have issued an appeal for the platypus to be returned immediately, stressing that "prolonged absences of the platypus can cause disease, and male platypuses have venoms that are a threat to humans."
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As this post went viral, witnesses emerged who said they had a conversation with the suspect, and Mr. A was arrested by the police on the 6th, one day after he was publicly wanted.
CCTV footage released by the police showed Mr. A and his party boarding the train with a platypus wrapped in a towel.
The platypus they captured had already been released into the river and could not be found.
Mr. A, who caught the platypus without permission, could be charged with violating the Nature Conservation Act and fined up to AU$43,1 (about 250 million KRW), Australian police said.
(Photo= Queensland Police website, YouTube 'WWF-Australia')