A Massacre with Catapults - When Will this End?

Yesterday was one of the most harrowing and upsetting days we've ever experienced at the Greenwich Wildlife Network.

Youths with catapults went on a killing spree at Priory House Gardens, killing at least five animals and wounding around ten more, from coots to geese to pigeons. One mallard has been left with his lower beak hanging off.

Five volunteers attended, and were able to rescue one pigeon who suffered a wing fracture as a result of being shot at, probably with a ball bearing. Attempts to rescue other injured animals are ongoing.

These catapult attacks by groups of youths have been going on for years at this particular park. The police have been alerted more times than it is possible to count. Locals have had meetings with the police. Councillors have become involved. It has changed nothing.

I hesitated to write this post as we don't like to give any infamy to the dregs of humanity that carry out these attacks for fear of encouraging them. But not sharing the scale and reality of this problem with the public isn't working either. Please understand that reports about catapult attacks is a daily occurrence for us at the GWN. All over SE London animals are suffering and dying at the hands of thugs with catapults.

The government recently responded to a petition created by Danni, a rescuer who like us is hearing of these attacks daily, urging them to strengthen the laws around the use of catapults. The government's response was that the existing legislations around both catapults and prosecuting wildlife crime were already good enough.

Do they seem good enough to you? When the police are called over and over and over and nothing changes - in fact more animals are being killed than ever; do those seem like laws that are working?

These youths are psychopaths in training, and they are being allowed to freely torture animals for fun with absolutely no repercussions, yards away from parents pushing prams and families enjoying our parks and green spaces. When is something going to change?

So please, contact your local councillor or MP about this issue. You can find a template email here; https://www.endcatapultcruelty.com/about-4

Keep signing and sharing the petition, to show the government that like existing legislations around catapults, their response is not good enough: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/653116

And if you witness an animal being targeted with a catapult, do not delay. Call 999 immediately.

We are so tired of this.