RESIDENTS of Carolena Street, Cleveland, have been warned to be on the lookout for an axe-wielding maniac, who chopped off the tail and ears of a swamp wallaby overnight on Sunday.
Joggers along the popular Eddie Santagiuliana Way rang police and council after making the gruesome discovery early Monday morning.
Council staff took the mutilated body, which was missing the tail and ears, to Birkdale tip where it was buried without an autopsy.
The swamp wallaby was found in the same spot where officers erected a mesh fence and planted 490 seedlings in August to replace trees it cleared illegally in April 2013.
The council said it erected the fence to stop wallabies eating the plants. The council contacted the RSPCA and police and provided them with photos of the carcass.
A spokesman said all three groups would work together to find those responsible, who would face harsh penalties.