Sniper kills 31 swans in Britain
March 3rd, 2011 - 4:46 pm ICT by IANSLondon, March 3 (IANS) At least 31 white swans have been shot dead in a sniper attack and left to rot on a wetland in Britain’s Somerset county, a media report said.
A bounty of 25,000 pounds ($40,800) has been put on the head of the unidentified gunman responsible for slaying the swans in Levels and Moors, the Daily Express reported.
Bloodied carcasses of six swans were found Jan 30 and 25 others have been found recently. All were shot from close range in the head.
Experts say the killer stood directly over the birds and pulled the trigger.
Pauline Kidner, founder of the Secret World wildlife centre in Somerset, said: “I’m numb - this is truly shocking. I’ve never known anything like this. Swans are such beautiful, graceful birds - I don’t understand how anyone could do this.”
Some swans came from as far as Siberia. Others were recently released back into the wild by Secret World rescuers, who found them trapped in winter ice.
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Tags: britain london, carcasses, close range, daily express, graceful birds, kidner, london march, moors, pauline, rescuers, siberia, sniper attack, somerset county, swans, unidentified gunman, wetland, white swans, wildlife centre, winter ice, world wildlife