A man has been charged with illegally taking a platypus from the wild and parading it at a local shopping centre, as fears grow for the animal's wellbeing.
The 26-year-old unnamed man was captured on CCTV with another woman boarding a train at Morayfield Station in Queensland, Australia on Tuesday morning with the animal wrapped in a towel.
In the video, they are seen patting the platypus and showing it to fellow commuters at King St Shopping Centre, according to Queensland Police.
Police and the Department of Environment and Science made a joint appeal for the animal to be surrendered to a staffed emergency vet or police station as soon as possible.
They said the animal may become sick or die if taken out of the wild and should not be fed or introduced to a new environment.
The man could face a fine of up to A$430,000 (£231,700).
Police Minister Mark Ryan, who dubbed the platypus Peter, said that the man was stupid for taking the pet.
“Peter the platypus needs to come home. The police see, every single day, a whole number of people do stupid things,” he said.
He continued: "Well, this is a whole other level of stupid. To the people who have taken Peter the platypus, take it to the nearest police station, take it to the nearest vet.
“Peter needs to get home and you’ve done something very, very stupid. It is an offence.”
In a statement, police said it was risky behaviour for both the humans and the animal.
A statement read: "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,
"If you are lucky enough to see a platypus in the wild, keep your distance. Never pat, hold or take an animal."
British scientists in the late 18th century famously thought they were being hoaxed when they saw their first platypus.
The animal combines a number of features from multiple animals ― webbed feet and a bill like a duck, but with a beaver-like tail and body and fur similar to that of an otter.
National Geographic says they are shy animals native to Australia.
Platypuses spend most of their time alone, sleeping or eating.
Platypuses are long-lived, surviving 20 years or more in captivity and up to 12 years in the wild.
Scientists think these fascinating creatures are the earliest relatives of modern mammals and recent studies show that they first evolved more than 112 million years ago, way before the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The man is due to appear in the Caboolture Magistrates Court on Saturday.
