Swan shot in the head in disgusting catapult attack in South London park

A “disgusting” attack saw a female swan shot in the head with a catapult slingshot. Rescuers from The Swan Sanctuary arrived at Beddington Park in Sutton, South London, on Sunday morning (February 16) after a member of the public saw a wounded bird on the bank.

When the charity arrived, they quickly discovered that the female swan – which was part of a mated pair – had been killed. An X-ray later revealed that the bird had been fatally shot through the head with a ball bearing.

Swan Sanctuary volunteer Danni Rogers, 48, says it is impossible to prepare for the heartache of arriving to collect the dead body of an animal.

The volunteer of five years said: “They realised pretty quickly that it was dead. There was one shot which directly hit the side of its head. It seems likely the swan was coaxed forward by whoever did it, making it seem like they were going to feed her.

“It was the female of a mated pair which was probably getting ready to nest and have signets. It is devastating. To kill something and leave it and walk off is cowardly. I honestly don’t know why they do it. It is something that never crossed my mind as a child in the days without computers or fancy gadgets.”

An X-ray later revealed that the bird had been fatally shot through the head with a ball bearing

Mr Rogers set up a petition to ban the sale and carrying of catapults, which has now reached almost 5,000 signatures – with this latest tragic incident increasing its support.

The volunteer, who is originally from Newcastle, says that this is not a one-off attack, with similar incidents rising in frequency over the last year.

He estimated that there have already been 15 or 16 catapult attacks on water birds in the South East since the beginning of 2025.

Swan Sanctuary volunteer Danni Rogers, 48, says it is impossible to prepare for the heartache of arriving to collect the dead body of an animal

Mr Rogers, who has been a vegan for 16 years, added: “These attacks have really started to ramp up in the last year. We are being called to around two to four a week.

“We seem to get an increase in signatures after an attack, which I understand, but we shouldn’t need signatures for these to be banned.

“This is the weapon that British youths are using. There is no deterrent – police aren’t doing anything about it.

“Catapults are easily accessible and cheap. There is no age restriction and no rules about carrying them in public. Opportunity is there so people are going to take advantage of that.

“They are still considered a toy which is just unbelievable. It is disgusting. They are killing animals, so they need to be taken out of hands.”

The parliamentary petition needs 10,000 signatures to get a response from the government, and will be debated in the House of Commons if it achieves 100,000.

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