Someone is killing ducks and geese in the East Bay: Over the weekend, several geese were found shot at a city park and Concord police say there have been other incidents in the past month.
Newhall Park in Concord has a large population of resident ducks and geese. It's a park that local families make a point of visiting especially to see and feed the birds.
Concord police found several geese shot to death and another with a wound on its leg after the department acted on an anonymous tip.
"Somebody shooting them -- that's pretty said actually," said Concord resident Bill Seaver. "Ducks don't bother anybody, you know, they bring pleasure to the kids out there. Can't imagine why anyone would want to shoot them."
Concord Police Lt. Bill Roche is also concerned.
"We have received reports in the last couple of weeks in different parks in Concord of having similar types of incidents," Roche said.
Eight birds were shot last month, and the same day several others were shot at Willow Pass Park. Police say the birds were shot with either a pellet gun or a low-caliber rifle.
"The fact that our community uses our parks for recreation and trying to escape day-to-day life, and having to come across this while they are trying to enjoy life is disturbing," Roche said.
Nicki Fife doesn't understand why someone would want to shoot the birds.
"It's a horrible person," said Fife. "That actually makes me very sad."
Animal cruelty in California is a felony that carries with it a maximum jail term of three years. Concord police is asking anyone with information on the duck and geese shootings to give them a call.
