A 19-year-old man has been charged over an alleged act of animal cruelty to an emu in the state's north west this week. Police were made aware of the incident after a video circulated on social media. The video shared on Snapchat allegedly showed a man pulling feathers out of a distressed emu, while those filming the incident laughed. It is believed the incident took place on Marthaguy Road at Quambone, near Coonamble on Sunday. Following investigations from the Rural Crime Prevention Team attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District, a man was arrested over the incident at a Dubbo home on Wednesday. The man was taken to Dubbo Police Station and charged with recklessly beating and causing prolonged suffering to an animal. The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Dubbo Local Court on Monday, July 22.