Australian teen caught dragging dead donkey behind vehicle

An Australian man is to face court after his teenage son was caught dragging a dead donkey behind an unroadworthy vehicle.

The 13-year-old boy was also driving with a loaded rifle in the front seat. He was stopped by police near Alice Springs on Thursday (13 October).

The dead donkey was reportedly being towed by a chain.

The boy’s 52-year-old father will appear in court on firearms charges.

“Police found a 13-year-old boy driving the unroadworthy vehicle, with a loaded .22 bolt-action rifle in the front seat,” a police spokesman told local press.

“The rifle had nine rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. The vehicle was unroadworthy, with severe damage to the front end and the bonnet was held down with a tie-down strap.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now