Outrage after healthy orphan foal is shot

 A healthy orphan foal has been shot in the New Forest after it was decided it would be too difficult to hand rear – a decision condemned as “appalling” by people who had offered to take it in.

The foal’s mother died after it was hit by a car on the B3054 through the ancient Hampshire woodland. But although the foal was unhurt its owner instructed a forest worker to kill it. Witness Tanya Harding said it was “trotting happily” as it was led into the bushes. When she drove past again an hour later the foal’s body was alongside its mother on the roadside.

The incident prompted outrage on social media and Miki Bekhechi, of animal welfare charity PETA, said: “It’s hard to believe there was no better option than bringing the guns out.”