A man has been arrested after numerous dead animals were discarded deceased animals were abandoned outside a community store.
About 50 dead hares, a barn owl, and a kestrel were placed outside Broughton Community Shop in a charming Hampshire village earlier this month.
In the prior month, a deer without a head was discovered near a primary school in a nearby village.
A 37-year-old man from Totton, near Southampton, has been taken into custody as a suspect for seven offenses.
These offenses include various animal welfare and poaching violations, as well as a firearms-related offense.
Authorities stated that examinations of the barn owl and kestrel – both of which are legally protected – revealed that the birds had been shot with a firearm.
The birds were ‘stuffed’ on the door handles, and blood was smeared on the windows, the shop’s treasurer explained.
In February, 25 deceased wild animals were discovered near a primary school on Danes Road in the village of Awbridge, six miles away from Broughton.
The bodies of pheasants and hares were found along with a ‘decapitated deer’, as reported by a local newspaper.
Country Watch Sergeant Stuart Ross said: ‘Since this incident took place, we have been actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and working with partner agencies to establish the circumstances of what happened.
‘We are grateful for the help we have received from the local community and we’d like to thank them for their patience while we investigate what happened.
‘There may be some people with information who have not yet come forward, and if so, we would urge them to do so as soon as possible.’
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