Three white storks were shot down on Friday, just a few hours after visiting Malta.Birdlife said the shot birds formed part of a flock of 18. They were spotted in Gozo and later in Rabat and Mdina.
At one point a member of the public witnessed a hunter shooting down three of the storks. The shooter collected two birds but when he realised that he was being watched he left the third behind.
Birdlife said the Administrative Law Enforcement was informed at around 8.30pm but no response had yet been forthcoming.
They said police from the Rabat district were monitoring some of these birds which had rested in the limits of Żebbuġ.
Birdlife called on the public to keep an eye out for the storks on Saturday and to inform the organisation and the police if they suspected any illegal hunting on these protected species.
