A Mandarin Duck was found floating dead in the middle of a Sukkursu canal at the Salina Nature Reserve yesterday morning. The culprit has been identified and is being investigated by the police. 

This was reported by BirdLife Malta on their Facebook page, wherein they explained that the bird was found dead after a shot was heard by the staff on Thursday at 7:50am. The staff immediately called for police assistance and noticed an individual hiding in the reedbed. 

The culprit escaped but left his gun on site which was then found with the intervention of the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) within the Malta Police Force. Following investigations undertaken by police, the owner of the gun is being investigated for this crime. 

Access to BirdLife Malta's Salina Nature Reserve is free at all times, with paths around the sanctuary allowing access to residents and visitors around the area. 

“It is utterly sad that during this year, which has seen an unprecedented rise in illegal killing incidents, individuals such as the one being investigated feel comfortable enough to enter a bird sanctuary in broad daylight and fire at a sitting bird in such a manner,” BirdLife remarked. 

It thanked the EPU for their intervention to keep the area safe for both birds and visitors but noted that with government authorities staying silent all throughout this year on the current trends in illegal hunting and trapping, “such incidents reverberate the impunity the hunting community feels, one which has been the subject of an infringement proceeding opened earlier this month by the European Commission.”