Heron dies after being shot
THE RSPCA has said it will take action against people who are found to have illegally targeted animals with airguns following the death of a heron who was left with a broken wing.
The bird had initially been taken to Rufford Vets in Southport, Merseyside, after being found by a member of the public on 18 April, before being transferred to Rutland House Veterinary Hospital in St Helens where one of the pellets was successfully removed.
He was then taken to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich where vets carried out orthopaedic work to mend two breaks to his wing.
Staff were cautiously optimistic that he would go on to make a full recovery and he had been eating well, but sadly he died four days later.
In England and Wales - all wild birds, their young, nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.
Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre manager Lee Stewart, said: “We typically see between 50 and 70 airgun incidents every year including birds like swans, geese, ducks, birds of prey and pigeons as well badgers, foxes and squirrels.
Sadly, many do not make it. Herons, as in this case, are also easy targets. They are not a straightforward species to manage in captivity as they get easily stressed and can be dangerous for our team to work with.
“We’re appalled that people take pleasure from cruelly and deliberately targeting wild and domestic animals in this way but sadly these types of incidents are not uncommon.
“We believe the numbers we hear about only show part of the problem as not all cases will be reported to us directly and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by these weapons are sadly never found especially in the case of wildlife.”
The RSPCA tends to see a rise in the number of attacks on animals in the summer months when the days are longer and people are spending more time outside.
The charity is continuing to call for stricter regulations around owning an airgun in both England and Wales. Better education, basic safety training for owners and a thorough explanation of the law including our legal obligations towards animals - could help protect countless animals from such attacks in the future.