Speyside residents have expressed shock after finding three boxes of dead game birds dumped at a recycling centre.
About a dozen pheasants were left at the Dufftown yard by shooters to be collected with paper, glass and recycling waste.
The creatures had their breasts removed before being shoved into “Irish Creamery Butter” boxes at the facility.
Furious residents disseminated pictures of the pheasants on social media calling for CCTV footage to be used to trace those responsible.
Last night, Dufftown community councillor Jim Nicol revealed it was not the first time bird carcasses had been left at the centre.
He said: “It’s not something I’ve ever seen, but I have been told that it has happened in the past.
“I don’t know why they would have left them there. It’s not like they can be recycled. It’s pretty disgusting really.
“They have gone to the trouble of shooting them and removing the breasts. It’s just laziness not to dispose of them properly.”
Fears have been raised the smell of the decomposing birds could attract vermin to the recycling yard to feast on the remains.
Signs at the entry to the site warn that anyone dumping waste behind the gate could be fined up to £40,000 and jailed for up to six months.
Legal pheasant shooting is popular on estates near Dufftown in the Moray countryside.
But yesterday, Speyside Glenlivet councillor Mike McConnachie condemned the obscene dumping of the dead bird in a public place.
He added: “Surely, if they have gone out and killed them, the least they could have done is dispose of them properly.
“It’s a totally disrespectful way to treat one of our public facilities. The sight of the birds could easily upset anyone walking in there to dispose of rubbish, and especially those with children.
“Hopefully, the culprits will be tracked down because this is no way to treat our recycling centres.”