A GYMPIE ibis spotted alive and trying to fly with an arrow shot through its back is the latest victim of a gruesome and growing trend possibly inspired by cult television.

For three weeks the impaled bird has been sighted around Gympie and concerns for the animal are growing after it was seen struggling on a vacant block at Hilton Lane yesterday.

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beattie said, while disturbing, the act of animals being shot with arrows was not uncommon.

"Often they're still alive and they're taking an incredibly long time to die," Mr Beattie said of the cruel act that makes targets out of anything from wallabies to kangaroos to possums and ibises.

"They virtually never manage to kill the animal outright, they leave it walking around in a lot of pain."

Up to 20 wild animals are found injured by arrows each year in Queensland, Mr Beattie said, a medieval act he believes has become more common since the fascination with weapon heavy cult-TV series, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

Despite an arrow solidly lodged about 20cm from the base of the ibis's back, it remains agile enough to escape capture, making it impossible to give it the medical attention it needs.

"There's a lot of people looking for that bird," Sunshine Coast and Cooloola RSPCA regional inspector Julia Steley said.

"One local carer has been staking out possible roosting sights, but while the bird maintains its flight capability it's hard to capture," she said.

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When responding to reports, Gympie wildlife carers and the RSPCA had not managed to get close enough before the bird disappeared, she said.

Unless there was human intervention she said the situation was dire.

"When an animal has something like this there's one of three things that will happen," she said.

She said an untreated animal was at risk of getting an infection which limited its feeding and moving capabilities or the animal could learn to live with the injury or right itself, but the chances in this case were unlikely given the nature of the intrusion, she said.

"The more people looking for it the better," she said, each report helping to track its movements.

She said, given the built-up location, trying to capture the bird by way of tranquiliser was too risky.

She is urging anyone who comes close to it to throw a blanket or box over it and ring the RSPCA or a wildlife handler immediately.

Mr Beattie said the sad story of the ibis was that they were not always treated with respect.

"A lot of people disregard them as a dirty dump bird.

"The only reason they're so prolific is that they're eating our rubbish."

He said those caught in the act of animal cruelty could face fines or a prison sentence if convicted.