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Swan shot to death in Warwick


Swans swim in the water off Gaspee Point in Warwick. (WJAR){p}{/p}
Swans swim in the water off Gaspee Point in Warwick. (WJAR)

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The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is investigating a swan found shot to death in Warwick.

Dave Hornoff of Warwick says he and his dog, Mosi, were walking along the beach at Gaspee Point on Wednesday, where they discovered the mute swan.

"The tide was a little higher, so I think she did make herself up to here before she passed," Hornoff told NBC 10 News. "The people in Gaspee care about their wildlife, they care about their environment and that's why they live here."

The DEM, Warwick Police and Warwick Animal Control all responded the scene. DEM said it appears the mute swan had been shot in the head and body.

Agency spokesperson Mike Healey said the department's Division of Fish and Wildlife has a necropsy, or animal autopsy, scheduled Thursday to determine what was used to kill the bird.

It's illegal to hunt swans in Rhode Island. Additionally, waterfowl season, which Healey noted is popular in the area, ended back on Jan. 22.

Investigators are working to determine if the swan was shot accidentally or on purpose.

"If somebody was just completely ignorant of hunting laws, like completely oblivious, and just saw this big white bird and thought, literally, 'Hey this is fair game,' I could see that happening," Healey said. "But gosh, if it's not that, if it's intentional and malicious, that's what we're trying to figure out."

The DEM warns it could potentially pursue a misdemeanor "takings" charge in the swan's death.

The punishment would be a maximum $500 fine or 90 days in jail or both.

NBC 10 News walked the beach with multiple residents of the Gaspee Point neighborhood, who told us it's a quiet area known for dog-walking and relaxation, not incidents like this.

"It's just an awful thing to see somebody kill something all Willy Nilly for no reason," said Kevin Conway, who's lived in the area for five years.

"It's just very upsetting that someone would just go arbitrarily kill something," said Cindy Wallace, who was walking her two dogs along the water Thursday.

Harry Cohoon was driving his remote-controlled boat in the water, as swans waded peacefully nearby.

"There's no excuse for it whatsoever, absolutely not. It was an intentional act and people should be prosecuted," he told NBC 10 News. "It's very, very bucolic here and to have anybody disturb it is not acceptable."

"It makes responsible hunters look like bags of crap to be honest," Bob Portis added, who's been a resident seven years. "It's sick. It was probably some kids with a pellet gun...but they'll find out."

Editor's note: Corrects previous information provided by DEM.

NBC 10's Cal Dymowski contributed to this report.

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