Around 40 dead kangaroos were found at a holiday spot in Melbourne, which locals fear is the work of a psychopath on the loose.

Residents in Dunkeld, which is 260 kilometers away from Melbourne, claim that they found around 40 dead marsupials across 2 night-time killing sprees that happened on 21 November and 3 December this year.

According to reports, the heads, paws, tails, and entrails were left sprawled.

The incident happened at the Grampians National Park in Dunkeld.

A resident who saw the incident said the kangaroos were not killed properly.

The resident, whose identity was not shared with the public, said, “When I first came across the shocking scene of kangaroo parts strewn across the landscape, my first thought was that there was a psychopath on the loose, and we ought to be very careful.”

The resident added, “The instinct to warn people of the danger kicked in. My second thought was to start looking for Ears For Days and Fringe Lily, two male kangaroos that have been visiting my garden for many years.”

The Australian government allows animals to be killed by registered shooters since earlier this year.

2 months ago, the government of Victoria passed a law, which allowed kangaroos to be killed for pet food.

The law was passed after farmers and groups protested about the huge population of kangaroos, which caused a lot of damage to crops, drivers, fences, and eat fodder.

The resident said their area is now unsafe.

Residents of the area are now afraid of the fact that hunters with riffles are roaming near their houses.

A resident said, “It’s just so dangerous. There’s a school camp some 200 to 300 meters away.”

Nikki Sutterby, the spokeswoman of the Australia Society for Kangaroos, said shooters earn around $10 for the meat and $10 for the skin.

Nearly 40,000 to 60,000 kangaroos are killed annually in Australia, said the Animals Australia.