Enquiries ongoing after swan beaten to death by two children at Canoe Lake in shocking incident
Police have confirmed that enquiries are ongoing into an incident which shocked the Portsmouth community
As reported by The News last month, a swan was attacked by two children at Canoe Lake on Monday, August 25 at around 9pm. While charity Swan Support took the bird in and provided it with veterinary care, it sadly died from its injuries the next day.
The charity provided details of an eye witness account on social media where it was reported the children threw sticks and stones at the swan before kicking and jumping on it.
As of yet, no arrests have been made but Hampshire police have confirmed to The News that enquiries are still ongoing into the incident.
It was an incident that shocked Portsmouth with many people sharing their disbelief when commenting on the story on The News’ Facebook page. One person said “Sickening. That poor swan. This is awful.”
Another commented: “I feel so heartbroken. A defenceless swan not doing harm to anyone!”
The situation also led to a local resident starting a petition calling for the appointment of 24/7 wildlife wardens at Canoe Lake to increase the protection for animals in the area. It has since garnered 2,702 signatures.
The petition, started by Jake Briscoe on change.org, states: “These acts of cruelty have and will happen again, if action isn't taken”. Alongside the wildlife wardens it is also calling for additional signage to be put up in local areas “highlighting the criminal and financial repercussions of engaging in wildlife crimes and animal abuse”.
Further details on the petition can be found by clicking here.
After news of the incident was released, Cllr Lee Hunt, Portsmouth City Council's Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure, and Sport, said: “We are outraged by the senseless attack on a swan at Canoe Lake, which has led to its death. This cruel act has shocked our community.