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RSPCA appeal after duck is shot with slingshot in Cambridge by boy on bicycle




The RSPCA is appealing for information after a duck was shot with stones fired from a slingshot in Cambridge.

A concerned member of the public rushed the injured bird to Village Vet, Milton, after they saw the duck being hit with a slingshot by a boy on a bike. The incident happened at around 6pm at Stourbridge Common, in Cambridge on March 16.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a duck was shot with stones fired from a slingshot in Cambridge. Picture: RSPCA
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a duck was shot with stones fired from a slingshot in Cambridge. Picture: RSPCA

Sadly, the bird had suffered a fractured skull and brain trauma and its eye was also damaged, so the vet decided to put the duck to sleep as nothing more could be done to save him.

The witness had seen a boy - thought to be around 12 years old - firing stones from a slingshot at the duck. RSPCA animal rescue officer David Allen is investigating the incident and said: “It is upsetting to hear that this poor bird had to suffer as a result of this cruelty. The injuries were truly awful and would have caused him so much suffering.

“I am investigating this and I want to highlight this so that people can keep an eye out for wildlife in the area, although we hope that this was an isolated incident.”

Anyone who has any information about this incident to contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line in confidence on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident 01042499. The incident has also been reported to the police.

[Read more: Heartbreak after beloved Soham family pet shot, RSPCA receives nearly 600 reports of dog cruelty in a year in Cambridgeshire]

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal - except under licence - to take, injure or kill wild birds or to take, damage or destroy their eggs or nest whilst it is in use or being built. The maximum penalty, if found guilty, is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.



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