Police in Spain said Wednesday that they arrested two farm workers after a shocking video emerged showing one of them — an overweight young man — crushing terrified squealing piglets to death by throwing his heavy body on top of them while his colleague filmed and laughed.

The young men, aged 19 and 22, are under investigation for animal cruelty after one of them killed a total of 72 piglets by crushing them to death with his body at a farm in the southeastern Spanish town of Huercal Overa, near Almeria, according to the Daily Mail.

After recording the horrifying act, the young men sent the footage to friends via WhatsApp.

The deeply disturbing footage shows an overweight young man crushing several piglets to death by hurling his body on them. His companion can be heard laughing while he filmed his co-worker’s cruel acts.

Warning: Graphic content. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

The overweight farm worker can be seen in the video raising his arms triumphantly after hurling his heavy body on the animals a few times. He appears very pleased with himself and strangely, he makes no attempt to hide his face. Instead, he pauses to look at the camera after each deadly jump.

The terrified piglets can be seen in the video squealing and pushing against each other in the confined space as they tried to escape being crushed to death.

The manager of the pig farm reported the incident to the Spanish Guardia Civil after seeing the video on WhatsApp.

According to the Guardia Civil, investigators were able to determine that the farm worker killed 19 piglets instantly by hurling his body on them and crushing them to death, while 53 died later from injuries sustained by being trampled upon.

A police spokesperson told AFP that one of the workers was Spanish while his companion was Lithuanian.

They committed the horrible deed when they were moving the piglets from one section of the farm to other.

“When the piglets were in the transfer corridor, they closed the entry and exit, leaving the animals locked up without any means of escape,” the police statement said. “At that moment, while one of them was filming with his mobile phone, the other worker jumped into the corridor and on the animals up to three times, falling with all his weight on the piglets, slaughtering 19 pigs and injuring 53 others which later died of their wounds.”

“While one of them was filming with his mobile phone, the other worker jumped… on the animals… falling with all his weight on the piglets.”

“The two men, a Lithuanian and a Spaniard, distributed the video through WhatsApp,” the police statement continued. “The farm manager alerted us and the alleged wrongdoers, a 19 year-old and a 22-year-old, were identified and located after officers had watched the footage.”

The footage has caused disbelief, deep shock and outrage. Horrified online viewers have condemned the men.

“These men want locking up for life!” “This is truly horrifying. I can’t even fathom how someone can do this to innocent animals!” “I’m disgusted, I can’t speak and feel sick, it’s barbaric.” “Call me a savage but these two lads would be better six feet under.” “I wish them the worst life can give them. I don’t care whether that sounds radical or not.” “I would put the fat one on the floor and stuff the 72 piglets he’s killed into his mouth.”

Some readers took the opportunity to criticize other aspects Spanish life and culture, such as the bullfights.

“The Spanish are not animal lovers with their bullfighting, bull chasing and now this.” “Why do so many of these films of animal cruelty come out of Spain?”

However, several animal welfare organizations are involved in campaigns to end the centuries-old tradition of bullfighting in Spain.

[Image via Jdbunod/Wikimedia/Public Domain]