Dozens of parakeets have died in a south-east London park after allegedly being attacked with catapults by groups of youths, according to a wildlife charity.
Greenwich Wildlife Network said 43 ring-necked parakeets had been found dead at Priory Gardens in Orpington over a three-week period.
The charity said the deaths were part of a wider pattern of attacks on wildlife at the park that has reportedly continued for several years.
According to the organisation, groups of youths have been seen waiting until parakeets settle in trees after dark before using bright lights to disturb them and firing catapults at the birds.
Volunteers have also reportedly found ball bearings, nuts and bolts scattered around the park.
Wildlife recovered from the area have suffered injuries, including deep circular wounds and serious fractures, which the charity said were consistent with being struck by projectiles.
In one particularly severe case, a parakeet was discovered alive in the park’s lake with a large wound to its chest.
Volunteers attempted to rescue the bird, but it died soon afterwards.
Greenwich Wildlife Network said 43 ring-necked parakeets had been found dead at Priory Gardens in Orpington over a three-week period
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Rae Gellel, founder and director of Greenwich Wildlife Network, said reports of attacks on animals at Priory Gardens dated back to 2020.
She said the scale of suffering was greater than the number of deaths alone suggested, with animals allegedly being left blinded, badly fractured or unable to feed after their beaks were damaged.
Ms Gellel also raised concerns that some attacks could be filmed and shared online, potentially turning violence against animals into a form of entertainment or status-seeking among young people.
The charity said parakeets were far from the only animals to have been targeted, with ducks, geese, pigeons, gulls, squirrels and foxes having also reportedly been attacked at the park over the years.
The incidents have caused distress among local residents and regular park users, according to the charity, which said some people had become familiar with individual animals in the area.
The Greenwich Wildlife Network is calling for tighter restrictions on the sale of catapults to people under 18 and for police to give greater priority to wildlife-related offences.
The organisation has previously staged demonstrations at Priory Gardens and organised an anti-catapult protest march through Orpington.
Although ring-necked parakeets are a non-native species and may be controlled in certain circumstances under UK law, the charity stressed that this does not give members of the public permission to indiscriminately injure or kill them.
A parliamentary petition launched by Linda Giblin is separately calling for parents to be held legally responsible for wildlife offences committed by their children and has attracted almost 2,000 signatures.
Bromley Council said it remained concerned about reports of birds being maimed or killed, and praised local residents and the Friends of Parks group for bringing incidents to its attention.