43 parakeets found dead after ‘sleeping birds shot with catapults’ in a park

Dozens of parakeets have been found dead amid claims yobs are shooting sleeping birds with catapults in a UK park.

A wildlife charity says 43 ring-necked parakeets were recovered from Priory Gardens in Orpington, south-east London, in just three weeks.

Greenwich Wildlife Network believes groups of youths are targeting the birds as they roost together in trees after dark.

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The alleged attackers are said to use a technique known as “lamping” – shining bright lights at the birds before firing catapults at them.

Campaigners say ball bearings, nuts and bolts have previously been discovered scattered around the park, as reported by Need To Know.

Some animals recovered from the area have reportedly suffered deep circular wounds and severe fractures consistent with being struck by projectiles.

One parakeet was found alive and floating in the park’s lake with a huge wound to its chest.

Volunteers rushed the injured bird for treatment but it died shortly afterwards.

Rae Gellel, director and founder of Greenwich Wildlife Network, says attacks on animals at Priory Gardens have been reported since 2020.

“The reality is even more disturbing than the death toll suggests, because animals are not simply being killed,” Rae told Jam Press.

“We have seen them horrifically maimed – blinded, left with severe fractures, their beaks shattered so badly they can no longer feed, and dependent young left orphaned after their parents have been killed.

“One of these parakeets was rescued floating in the lake with a crater-sized hole in her chest and died shortly after – in horrific pain.”

Rae said one apparent motive was filming shootings and injured or dead animals before sharing the footage on TikTok and other social media platforms.

She said: “It turns cruelty into content and something to show off to others.

“When young people appear to take pleasure in deliberately inflicting pain and suffering on living animals – and potentially seek attention or status from broadcasting it online – that should concern all of us.

But Rae said the problem extended far beyond the recent spate of parakeet deaths.

“To have 43 parakeets found dead in just three weeks is staggering, but this has never been about one species.

“Ducks, geese, pigeons, gulls, squirrels, foxes and other wildlife have all been targeted over the years.”

She said the attacks had also taken an emotional toll on residents who regularly visit Priory Gardens and know some of its animals individually.

Rae added: “They should not have to walk into a park they love and be confronted, day after day, with wounded or dead animals.

“A place that should be a source of peace, nature and community has instead repeatedly become a scene of animal cruelty.”

The charity is now calling for tighter controls on the sale of catapults to under-18s and for wildlife crime to be given greater priority by police.

Rae said: “This is sustained, deliberate cruelty, and after so many years it is incredibly frustrating that it is still happening.

“After six or seven years of animals being shot, maimed and killed with no let-up, the answer cannot simply be to carry on as we have been.”

Ring-necked parakeets are a non-native species and can be controlled under certain legal conditions.

However, their classification does not give members of the public permission to indiscriminately shoot or injure them.

Greenwich Wildlife Network has repeatedly campaigned against catapult attacks and organised an End Catapult Cruelty protest march through Orpington on 30 March.

It says it has also staged two demonstrations at Priory Gardens, with its wider campaign against catapult cruelty dating back to at least 2024.

A separate parliamentary petition is calling for parents to be made legally responsible for wildlife crimes committed by their children.

The petition, created by Linda Giblin, has attracted nearly 2,000 signatures and is due to remain open until 27 January 2027.

Gareth Bacon, the Conservative MP for Orpington, has previously called for catapult sales to be licensed.

A Bromley Council spokesperson said: ‘There continues to be concern, which is shared by all, at what appears to be the distressing maiming or killing of birds, including most recently parakeets, which we are aware of, with thanks to the vigilance of local residents and the Friends of Parks group.’

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