Tragedy as platypus is found dead at a popular beauty spot - strangled by a seemingly harmless everyday item

  • Two men stumbled across a platypus strangled to death by plastic hair tie 
  • A picture of the dead platypus was shared on social media causing anger 
  • Many people hit out at the littering and defended the 'innocent animal' 
  • WARNING: DISTRESSING IMAGES  
Two men on a nature walk stumbled across a dead platypus on the edge of a creek before noticing the animal had a hair tie around its neck.  
Queensland residents Todd Dent and Javier Pastor de Frutos were walking near Wappa Falls on the Sunshine Coast on May 26 when they made the discovery. 
De Frutos took images of what he saw before posting them to Facebook. 
A platypus was found dead (pictured) on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland by two bushwalkers who said the animal had a plastic hair tie wrapped around its neck
A platypus was found dead (pictured) on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland by two bushwalkers who said the animal had a plastic hair tie wrapped around its neck
'This is what happens when you leave some garbage anywhere and think it doesn't matter,' he wrote.
He pointed out the platypus had a plastic hair tie wrapped around its neck which he said probably strangled it. 
Many people slammed people for littering. 
'This picture has knocked me for six!!!! I am devastated, frustrated and so sad,' one user wrote. 
'Grubs. Some people are so lazy. Imagine it’s death. Just horrible,' another added. 
'Poor thing would have had a miserable death, not to mention unnecessary. Gross thoughtlessness of people,' a third replied.  
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Science said the death was a 'sad but timely' reminder that litter can kill native wildlife. 
Queensland residents Todd Dent and Javier Pastor de Frutos found the animal near Wappa Falls and took pictures to show how litter can destroy wildlife
Queensland residents Todd Dent and Javier Pastor de Frutos found the animal near Wappa Falls and took pictures to show how litter can destroy wildlife
'Visitors to our national parks are reminded that they must be careful and take all rubbish and litter including personal belongings such as hair bands with them when they leave,' the spokeswoman said.
'While the platypus is not an endangered or threatened species, elastic and plastic bands are a particular risk because of the way they forage along the bottom of riverbeds using their bills to scoop up food.'
Rubbish bins are not provided at Wappa Falls as part of the department's approach to wildlife management.
'Rubbish bins become a collection point for scraps, attracting wild animals and putting them at risk,' the spokeswoman said.
'Wild animals that feed regularly on food scraps can become habituated and potentially lose their drive to forage for their own food.'
As part of the Department of Environment and Science department's approach to wildlife management rubbish bins are not provided at Wappa Falls (pictured)
As part of the Department of Environment and Science department's approach to wildlife management rubbish bins are not provided at Wappa Falls (pictured)

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