DALLAS (AP) — City officials in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite say a teenage camp counselor hacked an opossum to death with an ax, and the animal's young were also killed.
No animal cruelty charges have been filed in the incident, which occurred last week at a summer day camp. Some parents are upset over what their children witnessed, and city officials are investigating what happened, The Dallas Morning News reported.
"I think there was some fear, some anger and just not sure how to treat a wild animal," said Mark Hindman, assistant city manager.
After the marsupial was found in a garbage can, the counselor took an ax from a camp office, chased it and killed. The babies then emerged, possibly from the mother's pouch. They also were killed, though the young campers were unsure how, Hindman said.
