A disturbing case of animal cruelty in Western Australia has taken a tragic turn, with authorities confirming the black swan abused by two local teenage boys has succumbed to its injuries, leading to upgraded criminal charges against the pair.
The incident unfolded earlier this month near Endeavour Island, located off the coast of the Mandurah region roughly 77 kilometers south of Perth. The two suspects — a 16-year-old and a 13-year-old from the Erskine suburb — reportedly took the swan out onto an inflatable watercraft before committing the brutal acts, which they recorded on camera to share on social media.
Court documents and police reports detail the cruelty: the pair first removed a fishing lure tangled around the swan’s neck, then one of the teenagers held the bird’s beak open and forced a vape device into its mouth, forcing it to inhale large amounts of vape fumes. The second suspect repeatedly struck the swan on the head during the attack. Once the abuse was complete, the attackers uploaded the graphic footage to social platforms, where it spread quickly and sparked widespread public outrage.
Police quickly identified the underage suspects after the video went viral, and initially charged both with one count of causing unnecessary harm to an animal. In a formal update issued Friday, Western Australia Police confirmed the critically injured swan had died from the abuse, clearing the way for additional legal action.
“As part of ongoing investigations into the Mandurah animal cruelty incident earlier this month that ended with the death of a black swan, Mandurah Detectives have uncovered a second alleged offence,” a Western Australia Police spokesperson shared in an official statement.
Following the confirmation of the swan’s death, prosecutors have added an additional count of animal cruelty by causing unnecessary harm to the existing charges against the two teens. The case has sparked renewed debate around youth accountability for animal cruelty and the enforcement of animal protection laws across Western Australia, with animal welfare advocates calling for stricter penalties to deter similar violent acts against wildlife.