Closing in on bird bashers

By Bridget Cook
LOCAL animal cruelty officers have said they are close to catching the people who brutally bashed a pelican in a lake at the Hunt Club estate last week.
Barrie Tapp, from the Animal Cruelty Hotline, said witnesses saw youths repeatedly bashing the pelican on Monday 14 November with a crash helmet at the lake on Linsell Boulevard, Cranbourne East.
The pelican suffered wing damage and was very traumatised, not eating anything for a few days.
The residents reported the incident to the animal rescue hotline and it was taken to Nigel’s Animal Rescue in Devon Meadows where it was nursed back to health. The pelican was set to be released this week in Hastings.
Mr Tapp said those responsible would be caught, with the police now on board.
“Witnesses in the area saw the kids going up to the lake every day,” he said.
“We know who the kids are and it’s only a matter of time before we catch them.
“Hopefully we can teach them a lesson some way that they can’t be cruel to animals the way they were.”
Mr Tapp said a duck from the same lake was attacked by the same group a few days later, but did not sustain any serious injuries.
Mr Tapp said it was sad that people were deliberately being cruel to animals these days.
“Over the past two or three years we are experiencing a lot of deliberate cruelty and I don’t know why,” he said.
“The thing is the animals and birds are very tame as they are being fed by the local residents, so they are getting tamer and tamer and become defenceless.
“We don’t want people to not feed them, but it’s sad when people take advantage of the situation.”
Mr Tapp encouraged anyone with information on the incident to call 1800 751 770.
He said anyone who saw any cruelty against animals was welcome to contact him.
Hunt Club estate teenager Aaron Grant said he was sad to hear about the attack.
“Renae (another local resident) and I would always go and have a look at the pelican,” he said.
“It’s like the part of the Hunt Club family. Having the ducks and pelican makes the lake worth having.
“I was devastated when I heard about the incident.
“I think it’s disgusting how someone could want to bash something that many of us living in the estate loved.”
“I don’t understand how someone could be so cruel.”