An Australian man was arrested after being seen with a stolen platypus, which Queensland Police are still searching for.
The man took the platypus from its natural habitat on Tuesday and was seen taking it on a train the same day, showing it to passengers. The animal was wrapped in a towel and could be seen being pat, according to a news release.
The man is being charged with a Class 1 offense under section 88 of the Nature Conservation Act 1992, which carries a maximum penalty of $431,250. Australian law forbids the seizure of a platypus from its natural habitat, as doing so could make it become sick or even lead to death.
It noted that a platypus also carries venomous spurs, which can severely injure people or other animals.
The police made an appeal to the public to turn the animal in to a police station or emergency vet as soon as possible.
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The man, who was accompanied by a woman, said that he released the creature into the Caboolture River.
The platypus is classified as "near threatened," with its number estimated at around 300,000 at most. It can only be found in the wild along the east coast of Australia.