SOUTH Tamworth and Hillvue residents have reported seeing a galah with an arrow embedded in its chest, flying around the neighbourhood but also spotted landing in schools and backyards.
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Central Northern WIRES chair Jae Price received the first of many phone calls from the public last Friday afternoon when someone saw the bird in the grounds of Hillvue Public School with the arrow through its chest.
A WIRES member went to the school with the police, as they had to enter the school, but the galah flew onto powerlines, where the WIRES member was able to get a photo, but not the bird.
Ms Price said she had phone calls all weekend about it and a resident finally caught it Tuesday, but could only grab the arrow before the bird flew off, minus its encumbrance.
“We want members of the public who have children with bows and arrows to check if they’re missing any arrows,” she said.
“This is just an act of cruelty. We don’t want kids shooting our wildlife with bows and arrows.”
Ms Price doesn’t think the galah will survive its ordeal, as it would now have a large hole in its chest where the arrow was.
She said the carbon fibre arrow was about 45cm long with no head.
A state WIRES spokesman said the Tamworth incident was the third such report of native animals being shot with arrows within 11 days of each other in NSW.
“This latest scenario in Tamworth is another
example of reckless and inhumane behaviour towards an animal,” Justin McKee said.