Queensland Police have charged a 26-year-old man with allegedly removing a platypus from Morayfield on Tuesday 4 April.
He has been charged with one count each of taking protected animal class 1 offence and restriction on keeping or using taken protected animal class 1 offence.
He was due to appear at Caloundra Magistrates Court on Saturday 8 April.
A female has spoken with police and investigations are ongoing.
Police were advised the animal was released into the Caboolture River and has not yet been located by authorities.
Its condition is unknown.
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 from the wild.
Anyone who sees a sick or injured wild animal should report it to the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or to the Department of Environment and Science (DES) on 1300 130 372.
