Police are investigating shocking acts of animal cruelty near Newcastle, after a joey was found locked in a cage inside a hole with burning logs on top of it, as an adult female kangaroo lay dead nearby with a gunshot wound to its head.
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There were also two dead cats hanging from trees in the same area.
The juvenile swamp wallaby was rescued by two bushwalkers in scrub at Cardiff on Friday and Hunter Wildlife Rescue has been nursing the creature back to health - it was doing well on Tuesday afternoon, according to the rescue service.
"The joey suffered burns to its nose but on assessment by vet Dr Cathy at Macquarie Vetz at Warners Bay, he was found to be in good condition but in shock and was placed into intensive care," Hunter Wildlife Rescue president Audrey Koosmen said on social media.
"Our carer spent two days settling him down and she has done a wonderful job. He is improving daily, I cannot believe he is so trusting of us humans after what other humans had done to him and his mum.
"Their intent was to burn him alive, a poor helpless baby as his mum lay dead only a few feet away from him."
Lake Macquarie police said in a statement on Tuesday they were investigating the grisly find and were encouraging anyone with information that could help with their inquiry to contact them.
Animal Justice Party member of the NSW Upper House Mark Pearson said he was "shocked and sickened" by the extreme display of animal cruelty.
"It is clear the person or people who did this to these wallabies and cats did so with the intent to harm," Mr Pearson said.
"These animals, particularly the wallaby joey, would have suffered incredible stress and pain. In fact, what they did constitutes as torture under the Crimes Act.
"We must find the perpetrators and they must be held accountable for their actions."
The party's Newcastle group leader Darren Brollo said the incident was horrifying.
"The Hunter community rejects all forms of animal cruelty, so the recent spate of cruelty cases we're seeing is disturbing on a deeply personal level," he said.
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