SICK yobs who shot a badger in the neck have been slammed by a Nuneaton wildlife sanctuary owner.
Geoff Grewcock, founder of the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary (NWWS), has hit out a those who left the creature in ‘distress and agony’ in North Warwickshire.
Sadly, the animal has since been put down, and Mr Grewcock has backed calls from the RPSCA and the Warwickshire Badger Group for the culprit to be found.
“We were called to Steppey Lane to rescue a sick badger,” he explained.
“The poor thing was cold, wet and very distressed – it had lost a lot of blood.
“Who could do such a thing?”
Crews from the animal sanctuary spent twenty minutes rescuing the injured badger. However, despite their best efforts, the staff at the centre had to put the badger down.
“When we brought it back to examine it we found that it had been shot in the neck,” added Geoff. “The wound was so bad that we had to put the animal to sleep – the bullet had ripped right through.”
Following the incident, the RSPCA and Warwickshire Police have launched an appeal for information.
Rachel Butler, spokesperson for the RSPCA, said: “We are sad to hear that a badger was shot dead in Mancetter. This is a very upsetting incident which would have been distressing to anyone who saw the badger’s body.
“Badgers are a protected species, as are the setts that they live in, and it is an offence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 for people to deliberately kill an animal in this way without prior authorisation or license to do so from an official statutory body. This is a criminal offence that both the police and the RSPCA take very seriously.
“We would urge anyone who has any information about this incident to contact either the police or the RSPCA cruelty line immediately in complete confidence on 0300 1234 999.”
The incident has also angered local conservationists who say badgers are often the victims of shootings because of ignorance and prejudice.
Denise Taylor, chair of Warwickshire Badger Group, added: “Badgers are a protected species by law. Killing or harming these beautiful creatures is illegal and anyone found doing so will be prosecuted.
“Badgers have suffered persecution for centuries. This shooting is yet another example of mindless cruelty. Imagine the pain and suffering this animal will have suffered before being put out of its misery.
“We would ask anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious to contact the police in the hope that the culprits can be traced and caught.”
Anyone with any information about the incident, which took place on Thursday (December 1) should call police on 101 or the Crimestoppers hotline, which is free from a landline and confidential, on 0800 555 111.
Source: Nuneaton News
