Poaching fears after dead geese '˜dumped in ditch'

A dog walker has spoken of her horror after discovering several dead geese along a Horsham footpath.
Canada Geese like these were discovered dumped in a ditch in Horsham.Canada Geese like these were discovered dumped in a ditch in Horsham.
Canada Geese like these were discovered dumped in a ditch in Horsham.

Vikki Longdon was out walking her dogs with friends when she made the gruesome discovery near Horsham Golf and Fitness.

She had parked her car in Coltstaple Lane, in Southwater, and the group made there way across the public footpaths around the back of the gym.

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She said: “The dogs were very interested in something in the ditch so I went over to see thinking it would just be litter or something and what I saw made me feel sick.”

The group discovered several dead Canada geese lying in the bushes.

Vikki said she feared they had been poached due to the state the animals were in.

“Some had bailing twine round their necks, some appeared to have cuts on their necks,” she said. “I was horrified and called 101.

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“To see such beautiful animals in this way was heart breaking.”

She added she thought they had been recently killed and ‘dumped in the ditch’.

Police are investigating the incident on June 30.

Officers said it was unclear how the animals came to be in the ditch.

Southwater based animal welfare charity the RSPCA has pleaded for anyone with information to get in touch with the police.

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A spokesman said: “We would urge anyone with information about this matter to contact the police while anyone who wishes to report matters of animal cruelty and suffering can contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and we will look into them.”

Anyone with any information can contact www.sussex.police.uk/appealresponse quoting serial 601 of 30/06.

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