Australia is launching an investigation into the illegal killing of a kangaroos.

The Australian authorities announced that an investigation had been opened after illegal killings of about 65 kangaroas; they had been found to have been shot or run over.

The authorities explained on Thursday that a local citizen had informed environmental protection officials in South Victoria that the bodies of Kanger animals had been discovered in village hangars some 120 kilometres north of Melbourne.

According to the State Environmental Protection Authority, only Kangren was found alive and received treatment in a wildlife shelter, while three others were killed by euthanasia because of the gravity of their injuries.

The same body noted that animals belonging to the largest type of giant kangaroo, the most prevalent in South and East Australia, had been shot dead and had suffered injuries that indicated that they had been run over by a vehicle.

The Australian Government protects the kangaroo, but the most common species are not endangered, which means that they are caught on the basis of a possible permit in most parts of the country.

In Australia, between 30 and 60 million kangaroos are often killed to keep their numbers under control.

Each year, up to 5 million kangaroos are killed for their meat or skins.