Three boys involved in the attack of a nesting goose on April 27 in Abbotsford have been identified and one of them has been charged under the Wildlife Act.
Denny Chretien, an officer with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said the youth received a $345 ticket for harassing a bird, but will not be taken to court.
He said he met with all three boys and their parents to discuss the seriousness of the issue.
“They (the boys) were very remorseful and embarrassed. The parents were very affected and very concerned,” Chretien said.
Meanwhile, the bird that was attacked hatched her goslings over the weekend, and the family has left the upper parkade area of Sevenoaks Shopping Centre.
It was there that mall security found the injured bird covered in blood on April 27. The site serves as a nesting area for geese at this time of year.
Security alerted the SPCA about the goose and the Conservation Officer Service was then called in.
Workers checked on the bird and determined that it would heal on its own and it was best to leave it there with the eggs. Her mate was not harmed.
Surveillance video showed that three boys seemed to be involved in the assault, although there were others with them in the parkade.
Const. Ian MacDonald of the Abbotsford Police, which was also notified of the attack, said one of the boys appeared to be wielding a “long object” and another might have been throwing rocks at the bird.
The conservation office took over as the lead investigating agency and worked with the SPCA and mall security to identify the youths involved.
“I felt that this was definitely an investigation worth putting time and effort into,” Chretien said.
He said he could not release any further details because of privacy laws protecting the identities of young offenders.
Authorities were also notified that, on around the same day, an injured goose was discovered at West Oaks Mall, located just west of Sevenoaks Shopping Centre.
The bird was found lying in one of the back areas outside a delivery door. It was taken to an animal rescue centre, where it died.
Chretien said he also investigated that incident but was unable to find enough evidence to confirm who was involved in that assault.
