Australian woman charged with torturing animals after pelican kidnap Sydney

An elderly Australian woman has been charged withtorturing animals after she allegedly abducted a pelican from ariver, police said Monday.  The 73-year-old was seen feeding fish to a pelican in Tuncurry, about300 kilometres north of Sydney, last month. "The woman then grabbed the pelican and put it in her car boot, withthe wing observed to be protruding from the closed boot," police saidin a statement.Police stopped her car and made her release the injured bird.  Further investigation led officers on Friday to search her home,where they allegedly seized "items relating to the cruelty ofanimals.""Police also located a caged magpie with its beak removed. The birdwas taken to a vet where it was euthanized due to the injuries,"police said."Mobile phones seized from the house depicted images and videos ofanimals, including a dog and rabbit, that had allegedly beenmutilated in a public location."The woman will appear in court on May 22 where police will allege shegoes to public places and gains the trust of animals by feeding them,before taking them home and torturing them over an extended period oftime.Police allege she then takes them to a veterinarian, claiming theywere found injured and require euthanizing.