Peacock killed with catapults
A family have shared their devastation after learning their peacock had been “brutally” killed with catapults.
Alison Carter and daughter Macey Michael-Carter, from Boughton Monchelsea, were about to go on holiday on April 21, when they were told their beloved pet had been targeted by a group of teenagers.
CCTV from a neighbour’s camera shows a group of five boys and one girl, three of which had slingshots, attempting to shoot the peacock named River out of a tree.
Three boys were seen to fire and aim at the bird more than 20 times from the road before climbing over the fence onto the roof of a private property to target the animal again.
The footage then captures the bird falling out of the tree and cowering in a corner.
Three youths can be seen continuing to fire at the animal from the rooftop before two of them make their way onto the woodyard grounds.
The CCTV then captures the moment one of the suspects lifts the peacock up by its wings and is seen to hold the bird like a trophy, before another rips out his feathers. Before leaving the property, one of the teenagers picks up River and attempts to hide him.
Alison, 57, said: “I was devastated, and I still am.
“He is part of the family – he played and walked around with our dog Ziggy.
“He was like a dog he would follow you around, he would come into the kitchen, he would have trusted them.”
The neighbour told the family he had seen a group of teenagers around his woodyard and decided to check his CCTV where he was able to see the incident take place.
The family had rescued River five-and-a-half years ago. “Everyone knew him in the community – he was a really big character,” Alison added. A 15-year-old boy has since been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and possession of an offensive weapon.
Police said a 10-year-old boy, 19-year-old man, and 16-yearold girl, have been interviewed in relation to the incident. A spokesman said an investigation to determine the circumstances is ongoing.