A rabbit found in northeast Calgary with an arrow through it will have to be put down following an assessment by a local veterinarian clinic.
A picture posted on Facebook caught the attention of the Calgary Humane Society on Wednesday. The picture, which was taken in the Skyview area, showed a rabbit with an arrow through it.
The injured animal was eventually located by Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers. Brendan Cox with Alberta Justice and Solicitor General said the rabbit was left at a local veterinary clinic, which is associated with the rehabilitation society.
“Unfortunately, the clinic’s initial assessment is that the rabbit will have to be euthanized,” Cox said in an email to Global News.
It’s not known if the rabbit was intentionally shot or where the animal was injured.
Cox said it is against the law to shoot arrows in the city limits or in close proximity to occupied houses and other buildings. However, it is not illegal to hunt rabbits and Cox said there is a chance the animal was hit by the arrow outside the city limits.
“It is possible someone hit the rabbit while hunting, but that they missed the vital organs, and the animal then travelled into the city,” Cox wrote. “Unfortunately, the projectile may sometimes pass through the animal without doing any damage to the internal organs, and then the animal may be left with an arrow still lodged in its body.”
These types of incidents can be reported to Calgary’s Fish and Wildlife office at 403-297-6423.