text: An elderly couple have been charged as investigations deepen into the discovery of a mass dog grave  containing the carcasses of 55 greyhounds. The 71-year-old man and 64-year-old woman were charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm after a police search found a rifle and ammunition in a home in Bundaberg on Thursday. The carcasses were in various states of decomposition when found by a member of the public 360 kilometres  north of Brisbane in Vera Scarth-Johnson Wildflower Reserve, and it is thought that the site is a common dumping ground for unwanted racing greyhounds. Scroll down for video . An elderly couple have been charged as investigations deepen into the discovery of a mass dog grave containing the carcasses of 55 greyhounds . The shocking grisly photos show the decomposed bodies and burnt out skeletons of the greyhounds. Their carcasses lie in thick bush grass and some are still covered in dark brown fur with gun shot wounds clearly visible. There have been reports that the remains of the animals are scattered over an area of 200m around the reserve and no efforts have been made to conceal them. The 64-year-old woman is known in the local area as a greyhound trainer and when police issued her with a search warrant she put up a fight, claiming she had no idea what they were talking about. Police found a .22 calibre gun, ammunition and a baseball bat in the woman's home. The couple, both from Bundaberg, will appear in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday. A Queensland Police and RSPCA taskforce, set up after the greyhound racing industry was rocked by the live baiting scandal in February, found ammunition shells from a .22 calibre gun at the bush site in nearby Coonarr. The 71-year-old man and 64-year-old woman were charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm after a police search found a rifle and ammunition in a home in Bundaberg on Thursday . Local speculation suggests the site is a common dumping ground for `wasted' dogs used by people in the industry. Police haven't been able to confirm reports that microchips were also discovered. The shocking scene was, in the words of Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth, 'nothing short of abhorrent'. Post-mortem examinations will reveal the cause of death but Ainsworth said: 'I will say that a number of spent .22 cartridge shells were found in the vicinity as well.' And it's unlikely to be the last horrific sight he and his colleagues are met with. 'We've not even tipped the iceberg yet,' he said on Thursday morning. The carcasses were in various states of decomposition when found by a member of the public 360 kilometres north of Brisbane in Vera Scarth-Johnson Wildflower Reserve, and it is thought that the site is a common dumping ground for unwanted racing greyhounds . 'It could be somebody within the industry that knows the remoteness of that area up there and knows that it's a safe place to dispose of greyhounds that can't perform within the greyhound industry,' he said before the couple were arrested. Speaking to 9News, local resident Lloyd Blake said: 'We're quite disgusted that the dogs were dumped in our area and we hope at the end of the day that the severe fire that we had here in November is not related to the burning of the dogs.' Fires ripped through the area in February and police are now investigating whether the fires were deliberately lit and linked to the burning of the greyhound carcasses. It's also believed the animals were killed prior to the ABC's live baiting expose, judging by the level of decomposition. Racing Queensland's own probe into the use of live piglets, possums, rabbits and other small animals to train race dogs has resulted in more than 30 trainers being banned or stood down pending an internal review. The 64-year-old woman is known in the local area as a greyhound trainer and when police issued her with a search warrant she put up a fight, claiming she had no idea what they were talking about . The shocking scene was, in the words of Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth, 'nothing short of abhorrent' It's not yet known if any of those banned or suspended are those operating around Bundaberg that have been identified by police. But Queensland Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association president Tony Zammit maintains the wider industry has been tarnished by the action of a few 'villains and rogues'. While horrified to learn of the mass killing, he said comments it foreshadowed even more revelations of animal mistreatment were premature. 'To me, it's an exaggerated statement,' he said. 'We haven't heard the full story yet.' Speaking at a press conference Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller was furious and appalled at the 'mass murder'. 'The people who have perpetrated this crime to me are oxygen thieves , they are cowards and they are pathetic,' she said. Bundaberg Greyhound Club president Stephen Bland took to Facebook to express shock at the discovery. Post-mortem examinations will reveal the cause of death but Ainsworth said: 'I will say that a number of spent .22 cartridge shells were found in the vicinity as well' Australia has one of the largest greyhound racing industries in the world. Live baiting has been banned and criminalised for decades. @QPSmedia@RSPCAQld 'We are appalled by the news and are doing all we can to find whomever is responsible for this disgraceful act,' he said. Greyhounds usually have relaxed, amicable temperaments and the state's Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller used social media to note her outrage. 'Absolutely sickened that @QPSmedia & @RSPCAQld have found the remains of 55 greyhounds. Animal cruelty in Qld won't be tolerated,' she tweeted. Australia has one of the largest greyhound racing industries in the world. Live baiting has been banned and criminalised for decades. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
target: 55 decomposed greyhound carcasses have been found in Queensland .
  A 64-year-old woman and 71-year-old man have been charged .
  It is thought the site is common 'dumping ground' for greyhounds .
  They were charged after police found a .22 calibre gun in their home .
  Police have not confirmed that microchips were found alongside the dogs .