A 10-year-old boy has been questioned by police after a baby swan was killed in North Belfast.
The incident happened on Sunday evening in the middle dam on Ligoniel’s Environment and Heritage site.
It is understood a catapult was used to fire an object, killing the cygnet, which was the only remaining one at the site.
Maria Morgan, from Ligoniel Improvement Association said there was a lot of anger and disbelief in the local community.
"We got a message on our Facebook page on Sunday evening about a group of youths in the dam and concern for the wildlife there," she said.
"I phoned the police who were there pretty quick. Unfortunately, the baby cygnet had been killed.
TRAGIC: The cygnet that was killed in Ligoniel
"The cygnet was the only one left from the most recent breeding period.
"It is really concerning that someone would want to do this to a poor cygnet. People don’t understand why this has happened.
"We have been dealing with anti-social behaviour up here for a while but this incident is on different level.
"We want people to have positive experiences of the site and take away cultural and heritage knowledge of the area."
Sinn Féin councillor Tomás Ó Néill said: “The news of a swan being killed with what seems to be a catapult in the Ligoniel area at the weekend comes as a shock to the local community.
“There has been great work done in the area to promote the local environment including the wildlife.
“Of course North Belfast saw the deaths of many swans during the bird flu outbreak and the population is gradually recovering with new cygnets born in recent days.
“I would appeal to local residents to remain vigilant and report any incidents of concern and particularly anyone attempting to harm wildlife. We have a rich diversity of birds in North Belfast and swans are amongst our most iconic sights in our parks and waterways.
“I’d urge parents and teachers to continue educating our young people on the importance of treating the environment with respect.
“This has been an isolated incident and in no way reflects the actions of the vast majority of our young citizens many of which are actively involved in their communities.”
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police received a report of children attacking a swan’s nest in the Ligoniel Road area of Belfast on Sunday, June 11.
"On attendance, officers were met by a witness who had seen one of the children kill a cygnet.
"A 10-year-old boy voluntarily attended Tennent Street Police Station where he was interviewed and subsequently released pending a report to the Youth Diversion Officer."
