The supervisor of the RSPCA wildlife centre in Nantwich says they are now seeing as much as 70 airgun events every year.
Lee Stewart said he was “appalled” at the scale of airgun injuries suffered by animals who enter into his Stapeley Grange centre in London Road.
He spoke after the latest occurrence in which a heron passed away after being targeted with airgun.
X-rays revealed 2 pellets lodged in the bird which was entrusted to a shattered wing.
Despite the bird making some healing after among the pellets was gotten rid of at a centre in St Helens, it passed away a number of passes away after surgical treatment at Stapeley Grange to repair its wing.
Lee Stewart said: “We normally see in between 50 and 70 airgun events every year consisting of birds like swans, geese, ducks, birds of victim and pigeons also badgers, foxes and squirrels.
“Sadly, lots of do not make it. Herons, as in this case, are likewise simple targets.
“They are not a simple types to handle in captivity as they get quickly stressed out and can be harmful for our group to deal with.
“We’re horrified that individuals take satisfaction from cruelly and intentionally targeting wild and domestic animals in this method however unfortunately these kinds of events are not unusual.
“We believe the numbers we hear about only show part of the problem as not all cases will be reported to us directly and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by these weapons are sadly never found – especially in the case of wildlife.”
In England and Wales – all wild birds, their young, nests and eggs are secured under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.
The RSPCA says it sees an increase in the variety of attacks on animals in the summer season when the days are longer and individuals are outside more.
The charity is continuing to require more stringent policies around owning an airgun in both England and Wales.
Better education, basic safety training for owners and a comprehensive description of the law – including our legal commitments towards animals – might help safeguard many animals from such attacks in the future.
To support the continuous work of Stapeley Grange’s wildlife medical facility, contribute to the Wildlife JustGiving site.
