Warning: the story contains disturbing details and images.
There was a disturbing discovery at a Vancouver park on Saturday morning.
Dozens of families are drawn to Trout Lake in East Vancouver to enjoy the beauty and the peace, and the area is bustling with waterfowl and wildlife.
But for neighbour Katherine Szendrei, the joy of an early morning dog walk in John Hendry Park was shattered, when they came upon three young ducks who had been killed overnight.
“This morning, we came down and found three little ducklings who have been shot in the head with a BB gun,” Szendrei said. “We were very disturbed.”
The birds appear to have been shot at close range, with a pellet gun.
WARNING: disturbing image below.
Their bodies were left lying on the grass, just a few steps from the lake.
John Hendry Park, where the lake is located, hosts a farmers’ market every Saturday and is a popular picnic area.
So many are concerned about whether the attack on wildlife could put visitors at risk.
“Someone sick did this,” Szendrei said.
“If this just happened now, it could happen again,” said another neighbour Tatum York. “It may not be the first and last time.”
City of Vancouver workers came to the park and picked up the carcasses.
If you have any information about the suspect who killed the ducks, you are asked to contact the BC Conservation Officer Service and the Vancouver Park Board.
— With files from Julia Foy