The RSPCA has issued a warning after a protected bird was shot with an airgun in Cardiff and had to be put down. The animal welfare charity was contacted on Wednesday, May 11 after a herring gull was found in the Plymouth Wood Road area.
The bird - which had been seen in the area the previous evening - had a bloodied chest and injuries that suggested it might have been shot. RSPCA inspector Simon Evans collected the gull and took him for veterinary treatment where x-rays revealed an air gun pellet. The animal's injuries - which included a broken right wing - were so severe that it was put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
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Herring gulls, their eggs and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 198 and it is illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure them except under licence. Police have made initial enquiries and the RSPCA is also appealing for people with information about the incident to contact the charity’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
Inspector Evans said: “This was a really upsetting incident to come across and we’d like to thank the person who contacted us. This poor bird was in a horrible mess after being callously targeted in this way and will have suffered horribly. Shooting at gulls like this is very likely to constitute an offence, unless done under licence, and the person responsible could face prosecution.”
In 2021 the RSPCA received 454 calls about animals being shot, injured or killed with air guns - the majority of these concerned cats or wildlife. However, 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 by these weapons are never found, especially in the case of wildlife.
The animal welfare charity called for stricter regulations around owning an airgun in both England and Wales, including better education and basic safety training for owners.
Herring gulls are a species of conservation concern in the UK, with evidence indicating that overall populations are in decline. More information about the birds and the laws that protect them is available on the RSPCA’s website.
