A koala screwed to a timber post north of Brisbane was likely hit by a car but tests are yet to determine whether it was alive or dead when it was fixed in place.
Koala Rescue Queensland found the dead animal at Brooloo Park Lookout, near Gympie, on Wednesday after receiving reports of a koala scaling a gazebo.
It appears it was hit by a car before being screwed through its paws to the gazebo and experienced koala rescuer Murray Chambers said he had never seen anything like it.
As there are no cameras in the area it would be hard to identify the perpetrator, who Mr Chambers said had carried out a sickening act.
"There must be something wrong upstairs," he said.
Meanwhile, the RSPCA is expecting to conduct a necropsy on the koala and police may investigate when results come, possibly by Friday.
Mr Chambers' colleague Ray Chambers said there was a need for stronger penalties for animal cruelty to stop this "horrid" behaviour.
"The whole thing is just wrong," he said.
