A man has been caught on camera allegedly luring, beating and then stuffing a black swan into a bag at Auckland’s Western Springs Park.
Authorities are now investigating the incident, which took place this morning.
Photographer Lydia Gillies and her partner were at the park at around 7.15am to take photos of birds when they noticed a man crouching down on the far side of the lake.
Gillies said she initially assumed the man was flouting council rules against feeding birds.
“Then [my partner] goes, ‘I think he’s just grabbed that swan by the head’.
“We noticed that the guy had pulled the swan out of the water, pulled it up onto the bank, and onto the land, and when I looked through my lens, it looked like he was beating it on the head a few times and then he put it into this black looking sack.”
Gillies, a keen wildlife photographer with a “great respect” for animals, said the attack made her “disgusted, upset, annoyed and angry”.
“I don’t like seeing harm come to animals, so it made me feel quite sick,” she told 1News.
The duo took pictures of the man as he attacked the swan, posting the photos on Facebook and reporting it to authorities.
“People online care about the animals, and they care about their welfare, and they’ve really been quite upset,” Gillis said.
She said the attack looked “premeditated”.
“He knew to coax the animal to the side of the lake with food, someone that hasn’t had a lot to do with waterfowl and or birds, they generally wouldn’t have known to do that.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed that the incident had been reported to them.
Director of compliance and response Glenn Burrell said inquiries were being made into the incident.
Auckland Council director for community Rachel Kelleher said the organisation was “very concerned” to hear of the incident at Western Springs.
“In no instances should members of the public be harming or killing black swan on park and reserve land without the necessary approvals,” she said.
“We will be taking further steps to look into it.”
Police confirmed it had also received a report into the incident.
The Department of Conservation’s Auckland operations manager Rebecca Rush said the agency was “shocked” to hear of the incident and would be investigating.
“Black swans are a native species partially protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. They can be legally hunted in restricted season, and within the regulations managed by Fish and Game New Zealand,” she said.
“This incident was neither in season, nor following a legally allowable hunting practice … These black swans are therefore considered protected under the Wildlife Act.
“The Wildlife Act is administered by DOC regardless of land ownership, and DOC will be investigating.”
The penalty for killing protected wildlife is up to two years in prison or a fine up to $100,000.
