A 24-year-old Colo Vale man has been released on strict conditional bail after he was allegedly filmed ripping the head off a wild duck with his bare hands.
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Jonathan Christopher Kolster faced Picton Local Court on Thursday charged with animal cruelty offences over the incident, which occurred on January 22.
Police will allege Kolster and another man were seen chasing a flock of wild ducks in a carpark on the Old Hume Highway at Mittagong before Kolster allegedly caught one of the animals.
He stands accused of decapitating the Australian Wood Duck with his bare hands, with a video of the incident later uploaded on social media.
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It is also alleged less than an hour later Kolster drove his Mazda BT50 UTE into a fence on a property in Colo Vale while under the influence of alcohol.
According to the police, Mr Kolster failed to give his details to the owners of the property, then later gave a false statement to the police claiming he was at Mudgee at the time of the incident.
Kolster was arrested on Wednesday after police posted his photograph online during a public appeal for help.
He was refused bail by police overnight and fronted court on Thursday, where he was granted bail by Magistrate Mark Douglass.
As part of his bail conditions, Kolster is banned from leaving his parents' Hill Top home unless he is in their company, or he is going to work or attending medical or legal appointments.
Kolster has also been barred from entering a licensed premise, or occupying the driver's seat of a vehicle and must abstain from taking alcohol or drugs.
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