Greenwich Wildlife Network, a volunteer-run rescue group, says the violence is worsening, and despite dozens of reports, photos, videos and witness statements submitted to police, very little has changed.
Swans, geese, ducks, pigeons, squirrels and even cats are being shot, maimed or killed in public parks.
Volunteers from Greenwich Wildlife Network have said the same souths are often seen returning to the same spots with catapults in hand, while animals are left to suffer horrific injuries.
Rae Gellel, founder of Greenwich Wildlife Network, said: “We are exhausted, traumatised and heartbroken, and we are begging MPs, councillors and police in Greenwich, Bexley and Orpington to listen.
“These attacks are happening every day now, and the public is rapidly losing faith.
“At the moment this kind of cruelty is as good as legal.”
She said Thamesmead and Abbey Wood have become hotspots, with near-daily reports of birds found bleeding from fresh puncture wounds consistent with catapult injuries.
Southmere Lake and Foots Cray Meadows have also been named more than once, and are among the worst-affected areas.
Among the most serious recent cases, a swan at Foots Cray Meadows was euthanised on July 22 after suffering trauma so severe her bones were described by a vet as “disintegrating”.
She had a mate and cygnets, and one of the young is now missing.
On July 10, a cat was shot by teenagers near Cook Hill Road, with photos and videos passed to police.
A Canada goose was found dead at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup on July 23, with the attack caught on CCTV.
That same day, another goose and a swan were rescued from Southmere Lake, both confirmed by a vet to have injuries consistent with catapult attacks
Rae recalled one incident that she found starkly upsetting.
(Image: Greenwich Wildlife Network)
On May 14, a well-known goose named Theodore was killed at Swanley Park in a case that shocked the local community.
Rae said he was shot in the face with a large stone, which went into his nostril and left him unable to breathe properly.
Rae added: “He must have been in absolute agony.
“What hurts even more is that Theodore trusted humans.
“That trust – gently built over years – was ultimately what led to his death.”
Volunteers Chris and Robyn rushed him to South Essex Wildlife Hospital, but he died in Chris’s arms just as they arrived.
Rae said: “It wasn’t a quick or merciful death.
“His final hours must have been filled with confusion, pain and fear.”
She said many of the attacks are being filmed and shared online.
Rae added: “It’s not just killing for sport.
“These animals are left to suffer with such horrific injuries that this is barely shy of torture.
“It’s children inflicting pain, for fun, and for clout on social media and we as a society, at the moment, are tolerating that.”
Greenwich Wildlife Network has logged dozens of similar cases and submitted them to police, but she said meaningful follow-up is rare even when there is CCTV footage, photographic evidence and named suspects.
Rae added: “It’s the same old story.
“Little progress is ever made, and the culprits are able to continue their animal cruelty spree the next day and the next.”
She said the group plans to launch a new petition calling for tighter regulation of catapults, including restrictions on public carrying and sale.
Rae explained: “How can legislation be adequate when this keeps happening, over and over, in the same parks, with the same culprits, and no consequences for them?
“We’ve protested, we’ve petitioned, we’ve logged and reported hundreds of incidents,” she said.
“And still: no meaningful action.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “We know that this sort of activity is really concerning for local residents, and we want to reassure them that we will take a hard stance against offenders.
“Local officers are actively responding to concerns regarding the behaviour and an investigation is underway to identify those involved.
“This involves using enforcement powers to target those responsible.
“We are working with partners in the local authority to target the locations where this takes place.
“We would like to reassure the local community that officers are actively responding to concerns raised regarding this antisocial behaviour in the area.”
