An off-duty policeman who stoned a wombat to death in a sickening video did nothing wrong, an Aboriginal elder has said.

Waylon Johncock was filmed repeatedly throwing rocks at the wombat's head while a friend lit up the road with truck headlights on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

The video went viral after it was posted by appalled animal activists - but an aboriginal elder has said Johncock, who is indigenous, was acting within his rights.

Under the Native Title Act of 1993, Aboriginal people are allowed to maintain ancient customs such as hunting local wildlife.

Indigenous people in South Australia have traditionally killed wombats with rocks and Wirangu-Kokatha elder Jack Johncock said that this right must be preserved.

He is now a Senior Community Constable based out of a remote community in South Australia

The image above shows Johncock with the same tattoo as the man captured in the video

Indigenous people in South Australia have traditionally killed wombats with rocks and Wirangu-Kokatha elder Jack Johncock (pictured) said that this right must be preserved

'For the people of the west coast of South Australia, the wombat is a big part of their diet and they'll get wombat any way they can,' he told the ABC.

He said a petition to make killing with rocks illegal showed a 'lack of understanding of cultural practices'.

'Don't they think they've done enough changes in this country to take away all our rights and customs?' he said.

'I think enough is enough.

What do they want us to do, eat McDonald's and Kentucky Fried and get fat like everyone else?

Jack said that people should not judge something that has been part of his culture for thousands of years.

However, another Aboriginal leader has rubbished Jack's claims.

Ngarrindjeri elder Major Sumner said Waylon Johncock's actions were 'wrong'.

'The way they went about it, it was just more of a joke, a fun thing for them,' he told the Advertiser.

'There's no respect for that animal whatsoever... we didn't hunt like that. We still don't hunt like that.'

The video went viral after the Wombat Awareness Organisation posted the footage to its Facebook page on Wednesday night.

'Heartbroken... this is tragic,' the post read.

'I am tired of reporting such cruelty for it to be ignored...This has to stop!'

The organisation has since created a petition to get justice for the killed animal.

'This is allowed under the Native Title Act and accepted as traditional hunting however this contradicts Part 3 section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act,' the petition reads.

What are the laws on killing wombats? The Native Title Act was passed in 1993 to protect Aboriginal people's land rights. It also allowed for their traditional customs to be maintained. Hunting local wildlife, for example, is allowed under the Act. Campaigners say this contradicts Part 3, section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act and the law needs to be changed. Advertisement

'We are asking for all native animals to be protected under the Animal Welfare Act and for this perpetrator to be prosecuted.'

Johncock has been in the South Australian Police Force for ten years working as one of the state's 36 Community Liaison Officers.

He is now a Senior Community Constable based in the remote Nullabor region near the border with West Australia.

Johncock's time in the force has been spent helping non-Indigenous officers understand cultural and social issues within the community in order to bridge the gap.

At the time, he said a critical part of his job was to assist in communications between non-Indigenous and Aboriginal people.

'There is a huge gap in the English and Pitjantjatjara language,' he said.

'Because I have a basic grasp of the Pitjantjatjara language, I'm able to assist my mainstream member who I'm working with to communicate.'

Johnock briefly played in the SANFL for Glenelg, but was a star player in country leagues around South Australia.

He won the league best and fairest awards in the Port Lincoln league in 2005 and the Far Western Football League in 2008, and kicked the winning goal after the siren in a grand final for Noarlunga in the Southern Football League in 2014.

Johncock's time in the force has been spent helping non-Indigenous officers understand cultural and social issues within the community in order to bridge the gap

Disturbing footage has emerged of an off-duty police officer stoning a terrified wombat to death and laughing about it

South Australia Police told Daily Mail Australia they were aware of the social media video 'depicting an incident involving a man inflicting injuries upon a wombat'.

'At this time SAPOL can confirm they are taking the situation very seriously and are closely examining the video,' the spokesperson said.

'An inquiry is being undertaken into this matter to first formally identify the man; and then take appropriate action as required.'

The video shows the wombat waddling along the road as two men in a car follow, before the Johncock steps out of the car wearing only shorts and shoes.

He starts chasing the animal before the man behind the wheel tells him to 'get up close'.

Disturbing footage emerged on Thursday showing Waylon Johncock repeatedly throwing rocks at the wombat's head on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula (pictured holding a wombat)

The video was taken on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, showing the off-duty officer repeatedly throwing rocks at the wombat's head while being encouraged by a friend

Johncock is seen picking up a large rock and viciously throws it at the wombat's head as both men laugh.

The wombat starts running in an attempt to get away from the men before they both chase after him.

'You've got him, you've got him, hit him, hit him,' the man in the car can be heard saying as Johncock picks up another rock.

'Kill him!'

As the man behind the wheel speeds up to keep the headlights shining on him, Johncock gives a final blow causing it to topple over.

'Yeah! You did it!' the man in the car says.

'First man I've ever seen kill a wombat on foot, bro.'

The off-duty police officer can be seen turning around and giving his friend a thumbs up before throwing the rock at the wombat's head

Social media posts show Johncock as an avid football player, where he was most recently linked to the Port Lincoln Football League