Nearly a dozen birds discovered coated in glue close to a Wellington mall earlier this week have died.
The swallows have been discovered by buyers close to Queensgate Mall, in Lower Hutt, on Thursday.
The birds have been taken to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust in an try to avoid wasting their lives.
However, all however three of the birds died.
The rescue’s director, Craig Shepherd, suspects animal cruelty is at play.
“We’ve by no means had something like this earlier than,” Shepherd instructed 1News.
“It’s both a deliberate act, or somebody’s performed one thing actually silly.”
Shepherd contacted the SPCA to report the incident and to analyze potential animal cruelty.
One witness, Ymmij Rameka, was among the many buyers who found among the birds within the carpark.
“We got here out of the flicks and there have been some birds on the ground, and one which dropped proper in entrance of us,” she mentioned.
“We have been shocked. They have been coated in a transparent, sticky liquid.”
A supervisor from Queensgate Mall is predicted to contact the rescue in regards to the incident tomorrow, Shepherd mentioned.
