Goose found shot at lake in 'disturbing' incident

A wild goose has been fatally shot and its body found by a lake in a nature reserve in a "disturbing incident", a council said.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council said the goose suffered a single puncture wound consistent with being shot when it was found at Jubilee Lake Nature Reserve on Tuesday.

It is illegal to intentionally kill all wild birds, including geese, and offences can carry a six months prison sentence.

A council spokesperson said: "This is a sickening and completely unacceptable act of violence, wildlife should be safe in our community, and we share the shock and anger that many residents will be feeling."

They added the RSPCA would be contacted for urgent guidance as the bird may have goslings.

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said they believe the incident happened between 17:00 BST on Monday and 07:45 on Tuesday, and are appealing for information and witnesses.

They added: "This is an awful thing to do to an animal, and we take incidents like this extremely seriously."

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all wild birds, their nests and their eggs are legally protected in the UK.

The council said: "We are extremely saddened and angry by a disturbing incident reported this morning at Jubilee Lake.

"A resident alerted us to a dead goose at the lake, and our grounds team attended immediately to recover the bird.

"Sadly, the goose appears to have suffered a single puncture wound consistent with being shot."

It added CCTV footage from around the lake is being reviewed.

The RSPCA has been approached for comment.

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