The Scottish SPCA is appealing to the public for information after a duck was shot and killed with an airgun in Inverness.
The animal welfare charity was alerted to the incident yesterday after the mallard was found on a road at Craig Dunain.
The duck was taken to a local vets where a pellet was found lodged inside its leg, but it later died as a result of its injuries.
Animal rescue officer Jamie Cherry said: “This was a very cruel attack in which a defenceless animal has lost its life due to someone misusing an airgun.
“There is a pond at Craig Dunain which is popular with people who feed the ducks.
“At this stage we are not sure if this bird was targeted at the pond or not but it is very concerning that someone may have been using a firearm in a built up, residential area.
“We would ask anyone with information on this incident to contact our animal helpline on 03000 999 999 or police on 101 as soon as possible.”
