With the autumn hunting season in full swing, a Gozitan hunter has decided to boast about his prey in a pretty disgusting way.

After shooting down a song thrush, the hunter picked up his prey, placed it on a rubble wall and shoved its beak down his gun. He then took a photo and published it for all to see on his Facebook wall, with the caption “Day One”.

The song thrush is one of 40 huntable species of birds in Malta’s autumn hunting season, which opened in September and will remain open until the end of January.

This year’s season has been marred by a high rate of poaching incidents, with 32 illegally shot protected birds – including flamingos, kestrels and herons – recovered so far. 

BirdLife Malta has called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to either boost the enforcement of the hunting season or shut it down as he had done twice in the past. 

Unlike in previous seasons, Muscat has refused to close the hunting season, insisting he will only do so if recommended by the Ornis Committee – a consultative hunting committee with a majority of members directly appointed by the government.

Should the government increase enforcement of the autumn hunting season?

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]