By Tim Binnall
An Australian man is in hot water with the law after he snatched a wild platypus from its natural habitat and then carried the creature around with him on a shopping trip. The bizarre incident reportedly occurred this past Tuesday when, authorities say, the unnamed miscreant and a female companion removed the exotic animal from a waterway in the town of Morayfield, wrapped it in a towel and then boarded a train to the nearby community of Caboolture. During the short ride, they made no effort to hide their shenanigans and, in fact, showed off the creature to fellow to commuters and even let some astonished passengers pet the platypus.
Incredibly, upon exiting the train in Caboolture, they proceeded to walk around a shopping center while the man held nonchalantly held the animal in his hands. Once word of their antics reached authorities, an urgent appeal was issued to identify the duo and, if possible, locate the platypus. Police eventually caught up with the couple and arrested the man for his role in the misadventure. His female friend was interviewed by police, but has yet to be charged with any crime. As for the platypus, the pair told cops that they had released it into a river during their visit to Caboolture, though the whereabouts and fate of the creature are uncertain.
While the case may seem comically weird, the man now faces serious repercussions as he has been charged with taking and keeping a protected animal. If convicted, he could be fined a whopping $288,500 for the ill-advised stunt. In detailing the strange incident, Queensland Police made an effort to stress just how misguided the shopping trip really was. "Taking a platypus from the wild is not only illegal," they explained, "but it can be dangerous for both the displaced animal and the person involved if the platypus is male as they have venomous spurs."