Jarrod Ronald Simmons faces charges of animal cruelty after a monotreme was stolen from Currumbin wildlife sanctuary on Gold Coast on Saturday

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A selfie with an echidna has helped police pin down those allegedly involved in the animal’s abduction from a Gold Coast wildlife sanctuary.

As Piggie the echidna recovers from her ordeal, a man is behind bars and police say more charges could be laid over her misadventure.

Man charged over kidnapping of Piggie the echidna from Gold Coast sanctuary Read more

Jarrod Ronald Simmons, 24, is facing charges of animal cruelty and receiving tainted property after a selfie he took with Piggie put police on his tail.

After briefly appearing in court on Tuesday, his legal representative, Jacob Reichman, said the theft from Currumbin wildlife sanctuary on Saturday appeared to be a drunken prank gone wrong.

“There’s a lot of alcohol involved and a lot of broken explanations as a result,” he said outside Southport magistrates court.

“At least they’ve returned it [Piggie] – that’s a very important thing.”

Reichman said his client was not the ringleader but was alleged to be involved in returning Piggie after taking a selfie with her.

“He took a photo with the echidna and showed that to a member of the public who raised the alarm,” he said.

Piggie had been all over the news as police investigated her abduction, which puzzled many given echidnas are spiny, smelly and are not black market material.

It’s alleged Simmons was able to take authorities to within 100m of where Piggie was found at the back of the sanctuary on Monday evening, 44 hours after two men allegedly snatched her from her enclosure.

She had tucked herself under a log, curled up into a ball and was waiting to be rescued.

The sanctuary’s head vet, Michael Pyne, was thrilled to have Piggie back.

The four-year-old echidna had undergone blood tests, ultrasounds and x-rays, and was in relatively good health despite being a bit sore from being improperly handled, he said.

“You can tell she’s uncomfortable in the way she’s moving but nothing too serious,” he said.

Simmons is expected to apply for bail when he reappears in court on Wednesday.