A national animal protection charity said a recent incident of youths reportedly firing at otters in Carlisle is just one sad example of hundreds of similar reports they receive every year.
In response to the incident that happened near the Sheepmount facility in Carlisle earlier this month, in which a man attempted to stop youths shooting otters with an air pistol, resulting in him and his dog being shot at in retaliation, the RSPCA reflected on the larger-scale pandemic of animal cruelty in the UK.
READ MORE: Man says he was shot while trying to stop youths firing at otters
A spokesperson from the RSPCA said: “We’re really pleased to hear the member of the public and his dog were unharmed during this frightening incident.
“It saddens us to hear that people have been targeting otters - which are a protected species - with guns.
“It’s cruel and totally unacceptable to shoot animals for ‘fun’ like this but sadly we receive hundreds of reports every year.
“While most people will be appalled by this incident, sadly our experience shows that there are people out there deliberately targeting wildlife, pets and farm animals with weapons including guns, catapults and crossbows, causing horrific pain and suffering.”
“We’d urge people with first-hand information about this incident to contact the police.”
Figures released earlier this year by the charity show that between 2020 and 2023, there were a total of 896 incidents reported to them involving weapons affecting all types of animals.
Crossbow attacks saw the biggest increase, with 11 incidents in 2023, compared to seven in 2022.
Catapult/slingshot incidents also show an upward trend (27 to 28).
There were six incidents reported in Cumbria during this period, the RSPCA said.
Otters are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
That means it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure, capture or disturb otters except under licence.
It is also illegal to damage, destroy or stop them from accessing their breeding sites or shelters, even if the otters aren’t currently using them, or to disturb them while they're sheltering elsewhere.
For more information about otters, visit the RSPCA’s website.
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