More animal stories in the law.

A New Zealand man who claimed he was raped by a wombat and that the experience left him speaking with an Australian accent has been found guilty of wasting police time.

Arthur Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police last month to tell them he was being raped by the marsupial at his home and needed urgent assistance.

He may give new meaning to the term beer goggles, as “alcohol played a large role in Cradock’s life.”

The victim withdrew the complaint because his bum didn’t hurt after the incident (thank goodness).

Updates

The Lawyers Weekly has a recent article on the spread of animal law in Canada (no joke),

Animal law is a fascinating academic field with courses cropping up at law schools across Canada. But will students in these classes be able to put into practice what they learn when they graduate? Will animal law, like environmental law did in the past, move from a niche area for impecunious idealists to a burgeoning area for enterprising specialists?

Michel-Adrien Sheppard adds some more resources on Slaw.