Rescuers from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) (Ed: Oh, hai..!) dealt with a distressing call just before 7am yesterday morning at an address in The Circus, Eastbourne.
Centre manager and rescuer Chris Riddington, from Eastbourne, said “When I took the call I spoke to a very upset lady who believed a gull had been shot on her roof and was now laying injured in her garden.
“When I saw the bird, the wounds were consistent with being shot, there were clear entry and exit holes and the feathers had been pushed into the wound. Sadly the bone was fractured quite badly and it wasn’t looking good.”
Chris took the injured bird to St Anne’s vets in Eastbourne who agreed that the gull was in a serious condition and the kindest thing was to put the bird to sleep.
Clearly, the cruelty to animals angle isn't working. Can we suggest another tactic?
Chris added: “Spending some time with the caller this morning, the person shooting the gull is not only committing a criminal offence shooting the birds and leaving them injured but they are causing anti-social behaviour making this lady scared and fearful to go near her windows, they are reducing her to tears.
She has lived at the address four years and has never known anything like this. Not only does she have to lay there at night as birds are shot on her roof she then rushes outside to their aid and looks after then until we arrive. She has to see the wounds, the blood over her patio, the fear in the bird’s eyes.
In many cases like this it is not just the wildlife that is suffering but the local residents too. It breaks my heart to see this. A lady who doesn’t feel comfortable in her own home.”
Well, I suppose it's worth a try.
East Sussex WRAS has contacted the police who will be investigating the matter.
Which is policespeak for 'filing this under 'meh!'...' no doubt...
He added: We frequently get people calling us saying they have seen someone shooting out of a bedroom window. We would urge anyone who sees anyone doing so to call Sussex Police on 999 if an offence is in the process of being committed or to call 101 if after the event."
She'd be better off getting a proper gun & shooting back. They'd turn up then, to arrest
her.
"Put to sleep"!
ReplyDeleteQuickly wringing its neck is least traumatic and quickest but I guess the population is now too wimpish to do the sensible humane thing.
Imagine the outcry which would ensue if someone like, say Queen Elizabeth II, put a bird out of it's misery by wringing it's neck? Oh, we've already been there.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I saw a duck get run over, ironically it was on a zebra crossing. I heard its bones crunch as the tyres went over it's body. Without thinking too long, I picked it up and wrang it's neck, as I had no doubt that the damage to it's pelvis and internal organs had put it beyond help. Unfortunately I hadn't noticed the people waiting in the bus shelter opposite who were a great deal more upset with what I did, than they were with the original squashing.
ReplyDelete"Quickly wringing its neck is least traumatic and quickest but I guess the population is now too wimpish to do the sensible humane thing."
ReplyDeleteGot it in one, as Northish's comment shows.
"Oh, we've already been there."
I genuinely think a large proportion of the public think she should have taken it to a vet!