Several birds were shot dead by two “amateur hunters” who broke into a farm in Rabat on Saturday, leaving behind blood spatters and empty cartridges.
“I left the farm at 9.30am and went home to have a shower. Soon after, a neighbour called telling me someone was shooting at my animals,” the farmer, who did not wish to be named, said.
Fearing that one of his nine dogs or four horses could have been shot, the panicked farmer called the police on his way to the farm.
When there, it emerged that a pair of hunters, who the farmer described as amateurs, had shot down some of his birds, killing a duck and two collared doves.
“This is not the first time something like this has happened. Young hunters go out in the morning and when their hunting session is not successful, they come over to our farms.
What if the shooting happened while my children were outside playing?
“I worry because they are not very skilled and could have easily shot one of my dogs or my horses,” the farmer went on.
The two young men have since been questioned by the police after a neighbour identified their car’s number plate and, according to the farmer, they immediately confessed.
Although sad that some of his birds had been killed or injured, the farmer was also concerned at the fact that the hunters were shooting so carelessly.
“I was shocked by this – not only because I had to clean up all the blood and the mess they left behind, but because on Sundays when it’s not raining, I like to bring my family here.
“We usually have picnics on the farm and my children would be running around. What if the shooting happened while my children were outside playing? I can’t begin to imagine what could have happened,” he went on.
The farmer called for more common sense among hunters, saying that despite the fact that many abided by the law, others did not bother with following regulations.
“There are still some people who lack common sense and that is when these incidents occur. This happens to me and other farmers in the area regularly and that’s not fair.”