Witnesses reported the brutal treatment of a beached juvenile female great white shark at Orewa Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. Witnesses claim that a group of men dragged the shark onto the beach before kicking it in the face. The men prevented other beach-goers from saving the shark. When the police arrived, the men amalgamated with the gathered crowd. The police reported that the beached shark had died before it could be put back in the water.

Beachgoers were distressed at the sight of a group of men dragging a great white shark that was caught in a gill-net onto the beach. Witnesses claim that they saw the men remove the shark from the net before beaching it instead of letting it back into the water.

Great white sharks are protected by New Zealand legislation. Intentionally harming an animal of the species can land people in jail for six months along with a hefty fine. Neglecting the law, the cruel men doomed the shark by beaching it and then preventing others from returning it to the water.

Wellfleet Shark
Juvenile great white shark dragged onto beach, kicked in the face and left to die by cruel men. Wellfleet Police Department: Facebook

New Zealand's RNZ news site shared the information revealed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). DOC said that the 2.7m long juvenile shark had rope marks, indicating that it had been caught in a net. According to the DOC, the beachgoers tried to return the shark to the water, but the efforts were in vain as the shark passed away after being unable to breathe. The body of the shark will be used for research.

We‘re working closely with the @nzpolice to investigate the incident involving the death of a juvenile great white shark at Orewa Beach yesterday: https://t.co/2gFx0P5GFZ

— Department of Conservation (@docgovtnz) January 2, 2020

Witness reports shared by the Herald told a more gruesome story. Witnesses claimed that the malicious men intimidated those who wanted to help the shark. They ganged up aggressively against anyone who tried to stop them. A woman reported that the men kicked the animal in the face, breaking the jaw of the animal. The report remains unconfirmed by DOC.

When the police arrived and put the shark in the water, its dead body floated back onto the beach. Police are working with the DOC to determine if the shark had been intentionally killed. Even though a few beach-goers shared images of the alleged shark abusers over social media, police have not made any arrests.

New Zealand