Children spotted slingshotting and stamping on pigeons at South Parade Pier - killing up to 12 birds and leaving wildlife rescuers sickened

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT

Children killed up to a dozen pigeons during a spree of violence at South Parade Pier.

The sickening events took place on Friday, when a gang of youths armed with slingshots were seen shooting and stamping on the defenceless birds.

Alice Pryor, from the independent Wild Hearts Rescue and Rehabilitation centre, a pigeon and dove rescue in Emsworth, is looking after the two surviving birds from the attack, which she described as “horrendous”. She was alerted by a Facebook post and a volunteer went to the scene.

Alice, 36, who has been running the rescue for about four years, says the volunteer found 12 dead pigeons and the pair that were alive but seriously injured. It’s not certain how many of the 12 were killed by the children, but it appears the majority were.

She said: “Witnesses said it was children doing it. They are doing it for fun, and sadly it happens all over. We don’t know whether police will do anything. This is the second time it’s happened at South Parade Pier. It’s pretty horrendous ”

The dead birds were taken to a vets in Hilsea for examination, in order to gather evidence to hand over to the police.

A report from the vets sent to Wild Hearts says: “The majority of the pigeons had evidence of catapult wounds on physical exam, including one with stones embedded likely from being catapulted with stones.

“A few pigeons I couldn't see any obvious wounds suggesting catapult injuries but could not find an obvious cause of death in these. Two pigeons were too decomposed (maggot infested) to be able to decipher cause of death.

“No pigeons were X-rayed but from the wounds I would be highly suspicious of a catapult attack and as such a wildlife crime going on in the area these pigeons were found.”

Of the two birds that Alice is now caring for, one has got concussion and head injuries, and was seriously injured when he arrived, but she says she is hopeful that he will make it. The other has a damaged leg and a broken wing. She said: “He’s alive but whether he can ever be released is a different story.”

On Monday, December 29 last year 29 pigeons roosting under the pier were slaughtered in slingshot attacks, leaving animal rescuers “sick to the stomach”. At the time, Brandon Pragnell, a co-ordinator at the West Sussex Wildlife Protection, said the group was receiving one report a week of slingshot attacks on pigeons.

Alice added: “There are so many studies and so much research that shows prolific serial killers started off harming animals. It starts with small animals like birds but then can lead to harming cats, and then horses, and so on.”

She urged parents to keep tabs on what their children are doing, and also asked that people passing South Parade Pier stay vigilant so wrnign can be given if it happens again.

Wild Hearts started off rescuing all types of birds, but switched to pigeons when Alice realised that nowhere else cared for them. She has an aviary that can accommodate 30 pigeons and doves, plus five “hospital” cages for birds that need to be isolated and given tube-fed medications that are prescribed by vets.

To find out more see the Wild Hearts Facebook page.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We were called at 8.30am on Saturday to a report that a number of dead pigeons had been found under South Parade Pier in Southsea on Friday, June 26. Officers are investigating and anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting 44260304420.”

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