North County Durham & Tyneside
Appeal for help after swan kicked to death
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| WORRYING DEVELOPMENT': Linda Charlton, from the wildlife trust, with some of the swans in Riverside, Chester-le-Street |
BIRD lovers have spoken about
their fears for the safety of a
town's swan population after one
was beaten nearly to death.
The cygnet, which nearly lost
an eye because of the force of a
blow with a blunt instrument,
had to be put down.
Witnesses said a number of
youths - one of whom was
thought to be carrying a cricket
bat - were seen running away
from the scene at the Riverside,
in Chester-le-Street, at the weekend.
Berwick Swan and Wildlife
Trust North-East representative
Linda Charlton said she was
alerted to the incident at about
4.30pm on Sunday.
She said: "When I got to the
Riverside, I found the cygnet,
who was barely a year old, had
suffered serious head injuries.
Members of the public were comforting
it. Some people were crying.
"I raced it to the vet, but it had
to be put down."
Mrs Charlton said the vet had
found the bird's injuries to be
consistent with being struck on
the side of the head with a flat object.
She said: "Members of the public
saw a group of youths running
away. I believe one of them
was carrying a cricket bat."
Mrs Charlton the attack had
happened at the blue footbridge
bridge over Cong Burn, downstream
from the kiosk.
Mrs Charlton said: "This is
worrying development. We often
have to rescue birds that have become
snagged in fishing lines, but
this is the first time we have had
a such a deliberate act of cruelty.
"We have at least 40 swans here
now and Chester-le-Street is very
proud of them.
An RSPCA spokesman said:
"We are shocked and appalled to
hear of this incident.
"If anyone has any information
we urge them to contact our
24-hour cruelty and advice line,
in confidence, on 0300-123-4999."
The incident in Chester-le-
Street follows a spate of savage
attacks in Hetton Lyons Country
Park, near Houghton-le-Spring,
in January.
A swan was shot in head with
ball bearing from a catapult, two
were shot with air rifles - which
left four orphan cygnets - and
three had to be put down after
being kicked.
10:54am Thursday 8th May 2008
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