olice were hunting sick yobs today after a goose was shot – with a CROSSBOW.
The terrified animal was found covered in blood with a metal bolt sticking through the side of its body.
Vets said it was a miracle the bird survived after the arrow pierced its back and came out the front without hitting any vital organs.
A shocked resident found the blood spattered goose while out walking in woodland in Burrator, Devon.
The creature was rushed to the nearby Drake Vets where it was anaesthetised and the bolt carefully removed.
Manager Karen Tyrell said: “One of our clients notified us of two geese living on Burrator.
“She called us to say one was hurt so an RSPCA inspector captured the goose. We anaesthetised it and removed the arrow.
“It was awful, really traumatic for the bird. It was looking very sorry for itself and we took it for an X-ray to see if the arrow was going through anything vital.”
Both the RSPCA and Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating what officers called “a cruel act on a defenceless bird”.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “It was a miracle it survived. And it’s miraculous it didn’t affect any of the vital organs, but it was terribly traumatic for the animal.”
