Shooting was ‘malicious’

Press, 5 July 1978, Page 1

Shooting was ‘malicious’

Nelson reporter Thirteen head of Black Poll cattle, owned by Mr C. T. Heberley, have been found shot on Arapawa Island, in the Marlborough Sounds. Mr Heberley has been an outspoken proponent of the move to shoot goats on the island. The dead cattle — which included steers, cows, and calves — were discovered by members of Outward Bound who landed on the island on June 20. The carcases were already decomposing and appeared to have been lying about three weeks. The shooting may have coincided with the final decision of the Marlborough Maritime Park Board to confirm plans to carry out control shooting on the island. Three of the dead cattle were discovered on the

beach and the others were on the hillside above. “We are certainly treating it as malicious,” said Sergeant J. Ongaro, of the Picton police. On occasions an animal had been shot for meat on farm land in the Sounds, but the 13 cattle had been shot for no apparent reason, he said. It was evident that some of them had taken three or four days to die, since their bodies had not decomposed as much as the others, Sergeant Ongaro said. It was difficult to judge, but it appeared that a small calibre of rifle had been used in the shooting. “It could well be that the shooting was tied up with the goat shooting on the island, but I am sure that nobody living on the island had anything to do with it,” be said. “They are shocked that this has been done.” The police are continuing inquiries.