We are deeply disturbed by the recent revelations of widespread cruelty towards animals involving the use of catapults by children across the UK. Evidence has emerged of approximately 500 individuals in 11 WhatsApp groups, including primary school children, engaging in the filming and sharing of abhorrent acts where animals are being injured and killed with catapults.
The shared content, totaling over 350 pictures and videos in just one group, showcases the deliberate targeting and maiming of various wildlife species including pigs, deer, pigeons, foxes, squirrels, pheasants, rabbits, geese, and ducks.
The footage is not only heartbreaking but shockingly barbaric. It includes scenes of animals being shot and left to die slow, agonising deaths. In one particularly grievous instance, a video depicts a deer with a severe head wound, inflicted by a catapult, twitching in pain on the ground. The child responsible for this act then proceeds to further torment the animal by kicking it, exacerbating its suffering in a display of unimaginable cruelty.
Another video captures two teenagers targeting a fox, with one of them audibly planning the kill shot. This disturbing content highlights a grave issue: the use of catapults, currently not classified as illegal weapons under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, for inflicting severe harm and death upon wildlife.
The lack of legal repercussions for such heinous acts using catapults has resulted in a perilous gap in our wildlife protection laws. This loophole emboldens individuals to commit wildlife crimes, knowing the risk of legal consequences is minimal to nonexistent.
Email your local MP and ask them to raise awareness of this cruel, trending issue. The cruelty showcased in these acts cannot be ignored.