Photo: Getty Images
An Australian man was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a platypus from the wild and taking it shopping. The Queensland Police Department said that the man, who was not identified, grabbed the wild animal from the water in Morayfield and then got on a train with an unidentified female.
The two rode the train for about 30 minutes, getting off at a stop in Caboolture. The pair then entered the King Street shopping center and showed off the platypus to other shoppers.
Officers tracked down the man and took him into custody. He was charged with one count of taking protected animal and one count of restriction on keeping or using taken protected animal. If convicted, he could face nearly $300,000 in fines.
The woman he was with was also detained and is cooperating with investigators.
The man told detectives that he released the platypus into the Caboolture River. Wildlife officials are trying to locate the platypus so they can check its condition.
Authorities warned the public that kidnapping platypuses is dangerous for both the animal and the person.
"Taking a platypus from the wild is not only illegal, but it can be dangerous for both the displaced animal and the person involved if the platypus is male as they have venomous spurs," the police said in a statement.