Officers from Manning/Great Lakes Police District have been investigating the alleged acts of cruelty since 2018.

On Saturday, April 27, a woman was observed by members of the public to feed fish to a pelican at a boat ramp on Point Road at Tuncurry.

The woman then grabbed the pelican and put it in her car boot, with the wing observed to be protruding from the closed boot.

Police attended and stopped the vehicle nearby. The woman released the injured pelican as police approached.

Officers spoke to the woman before conducting further inquiries.

Following further inquiries, a search warrant was executed at a home on Rest Point Parade, Tuncurry about 9am on May 3.

Numerous items relating to the alleged cruelty of animals were seized from the home. Police also located a caged magpie with its beak removed. The bird was taken to a vet where it was euthanised due to the injuries.

Mobile phones seized from the house allegedly depicted images and videos of animals, including a dog and rabbit, that had allegedly been mutilated in a public location.

Police will allege in court that the woman attends public places in both Forster and Tuncurry and gains the trust of animals by feeding them, before taking them home and torturing them over an extended period of time.

She then attends a veterinary clinic, claiming to have found the injured animals and they need to be euthanised.

On Saturday, May 4, the woman was arrested and taken to Forster Police Station.

She was charged with commiting an act of aggravated cruelty on an animal; authorising carriage of animal which unjustifiably inflicts pain; being in charge of an animal and failing to provide vet treatment (x3); commiting an act of cruelty on an animal (x2); deal in animals (Biodiversity Conservation Act); and contravene licence (Biodiversity Conservation Act).

She was given strict conditional bail to appear at Forster Local Court on Wednesday, May 22.

Investigations into the alleged cruelty are continuing. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.