Two herring gulls who died after being shot with an airgun were were 'deliberately' targeted

RSPCA Cymru has said that two herring gulls who died from their injuries after being shot with an airgun were “deliberately” and “callously” targeted.

The bodies of the birds were discovered by staff outside the Howdens unit on the Maesglas Industrial Estate in Greenwich Road on 16 June.

One of the gulls had sadly already died, with a pellet wound clearly visible above one eye.

Staff kindly put the other gull - who had also been shot in the head but was still alive - in a box before contacting the animal welfare charity for help.

RSPCA inspector, Sophie Daniels, attended the scene and took both of the birds to a vet, who confirmed that the wounds to them had been caused by an airgun. Unfortunately the extent of the injuries to the surviving gull were so severe that the bird was put to sleep on veterinary advice to prevent further suffering.

Gulls, their eggs and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure them, except under licence.

Sophie said: “Both birds appear to have been deliberately shot in the same place, just behind the eye area, and sustained horrible injuries as a result.

"Sadly, incidents like this are not an uncommon occurrence for RSPCA officers and it beggars belief that people are callously targeting animals in this way with absolutely no regard for the suffering these weapons cause.

“Finding animals who have been subjected to cruelty like this is upsetting, and we’re extremely grateful to the staff at Howdens for the concern and compassion they showed.”  

Last month a gull had to be put to sleep as a result of injuries caused by an airgun after the bird was shot in the Plymouth Wood Road area of Cardiff.

There have also been a spate of recent airgun shootings involving cats in Fishguard, two of whom have died.

Sophie has made enquiries locally and the charity is also appealing for people with information about the incident to contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

Last year the RSPCA received 454 calls about animals being shot, injured or killed with air guns, although the charity believes these numbers don’t show the full extent of the problem as some cases may go unreported and there are likely to be situations where animals who have been injured or killed are never found.