Volunteer Maxime van Wooning of the North Holland South Animal Ambulance was on duty on Sunday, November 2, when the police asked her to pick up a dead pheasant. The bird was in a bus shelter at the Generaal Snijdersplantsoen.
“The police received two sighting reports from local residents,” says Van Wooning, “who had seen young people dragging a pheasant around with a noose around its neck.”
Police confirm the incident. “Witnesses reportedly observed young people on October 31 with a rope containing something that looked like a pheasant,” a spokesperson said. “The pheasant may have already died that day.”
‘Injury indicates unnatural death’
Van Wooning has studied the cadaver extensively and concludes that the witness statements may be correct. “I have seen injuries that may indicate an unnatural death,” she says. “In any case, this was not a collision, because then the animal is usually partially flat.”
The animal control volunteer has shared her findings and photos of the dead pheasant with the police to further assist the investigation. She hopes that there are camera images of the suspected animal abuse. The police are also happy to receive them and hope to speak to witnesses.