Police are investigating “horrific acts of cruelty” against 29 chickens that were found killed in the grounds of a high school in New South Wales.
Police were called to Corrimal high school, about an hour south of Sydney, at about 9:30am on Sunday and discovered the chickens dead in their enclosure.
The chickens were owned by the school and cared for by students as part of their education. The school has a farm and students are able to gain experience working with sheep, goats, chickens, alpacas and in agriculture.
Insp Allison Guthrie from Wollongong police district said the incident was deeply disturbing.
“These animals have been subjected to horrific acts of cruelty,” she said.
“It is clear this was not the act of a fox or a feral cat – these chickens were well cared for by the facility and for someone to do this is beyond belief.”
In a video posted to the NSW Department of Education website last month, showcasing the school’s agricultural program, students talked about caring for the animals. One student said the agriculture program was “like a dream come true”.
Another student, shown holding one of the school’s chickens, said: “It’s really fun because we make some bonds with the alpacas or the chickens and they just come running up to you at the end of the day and you’re they’re best friend”.
The students described how they would collect eggs laid by the chickens each day and sell them at the school’s office, with the funds going towards buying crops, veterinary care and other items needed by the animals in the program.
The incident was believed to have occurred between 2pm on Friday 20 December and 9:30am on Sunday 22 December.
“We are urging anyone who may have any information about this matter – or who were in the area at the time with any available dashcam/mobile phone footage – to contact Wollongong Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” Guthrie said.
