This is the moment a woman gives an armadillo alcohol during election celebrations in Brazil, before dragging it along the ground with a motorbike.
The incident was filmed in the municipality of Caridade in the north-eastern state of Ceara, following municipal elections on 15th November.
The revellers were celebrating the election of Simone Tavares, from the centre-left Democratic Labour Party, to the position of mayor.
The police obtained the video footage and identified the suspect, who they said was a 36-year-old woman.
Credit: thadeu_brittooff/Newsflash
They also identified a 24-year-old man, who was seen holding the animal by the tail and tossing it in the air.
The police have interviewed both suspects. The woman has claimed the drink was not in fact alcohol but a soft drink, and the man has claimed he had not intended to mistreat the animal.
Both suspects confirmed that they had been drinking in excess. They have both since been indicted for animal cruelty. Neither has been named.
Brazilian animal rights activist Luisa Mell posted about the incident on Instagram, where she has 3.5 million followers.
She wrote: “I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s so mean that I can’t find the words. It’s sickening that someone thinks this is funny. It’s criminal and will be treated as such. I’ll do my best. Cowards.”
Mayor elect Tavares also posted about the incident on Facebook, in which she expressed her “total repudiation of any act of cruelty towards animals.” She also explained that she did not know the people involved in the incident and was not aware of it at the time.
The woman holding the armadillo, during an election celebration 
The armadillo being dragged
She went on to add: “The interests of animals matter and must be respected, and their inclusion in the scope of our considerations is necessary.”
The species involved was a Brazilian three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus), which is considered a vulnerable species. The fate of the armadillo that appears in the video is unknown.
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Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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