A shocking act of animal cruelty has rocked the Cambridgeshire village of East Hatley, where five alpacas were gunned down in a senseless attack. Animal rights organisation PETA has stepped in, offering a reward of up to £2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s).
The attack, which took place between 6 p.m. on Saturday, 22 March, and 8.30 a.m. on Sunday, 23 March, saw four alpacas—Calvin, Klein, Martha, and Juniper—fatally shot in the head with a rifle. A fifth, Phoebe, was shot in the face and is now receiving urgent veterinary care for paralysis.
Cambridgeshire Police are urging anyone with information to come forward. “This was a highly distressing crime that has caused death and serious injury to defenceless animals,” said Sergeant Tom Nuttall of the Rural Crime Action Team. “I would encourage anyone who knows anything about this offence to get in touch as soon as possible.”
PETA’s Vice President, Elisa Allen, condemned the attack, warning that acts of animal cruelty are often linked to wider violent behaviour. “Animal abusers are a danger to everyone: they take their issues out on whomever is available to them—humans or other animals—and must be caught before they act again.”
Historically, many violent offenders have been found to have a history of animal abuse, including serial killers and mass murderers. With such disturbing links, authorities are determined to bring those responsible to justice before they escalate further.
The police are asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area or who has CCTV or dashcam footage to get in touch, quoting reference 35/20844/25. Witnesses can call Cambridgeshire Police on 101 or report information anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
For those outraged by this crime and eager to see justice served, now is the time to speak up. A community’s vigilance could prevent further tragedy.
