A cruel thug has sparked outrage in the Netherlands for trapping a great tit in its nature reserve birdhouse where it was later found dead with a local MP saying it was caused by COVID-19 frustrations.
Conservationists in the eastern Dutch province of Overijssel said the incident took place at the Collendoorn nature reserve near the town of Hardenberg
The animal rights NGO ‘Landscape Overijssel’ included photos of the dead great tit and its birdhouse on Facebook alongside the message: “The opening appears to have been deliberately blocked with a stick.”
The NGO added that a reserve worker noticed the stick on patrol before finding the dead bird inside.
Overijssel MP for the ‘GroenLinks’ political part Robert Jansen called the incident “really very terrible”.
He added that he wants to be kept up to date with incidents of animal abuse because “then we will know if animal suffering is increasing and whether we need to intervene”.
Jansen said: “Earlier this week, a stork was also shot dead in Overijssel and I want to know if there have been others.”
He also speculated whether any possible increase in animal abuse could be linked to COVID-19 frustrations.
Jansen said: “If the reported numbers were higher, we would have to look into whether more law enforcers were needed, for example.
“It cannot be the case that people are now taking out their COVID-19 frustrations on animals.”
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Story By: Delano Langras, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Central European News
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