4. The Public Response
    The Chiel - Primary School - Public Thrashing

The Chiel: Shocked to the core

The barbaric killing of penguins, gannets and pelicans at the aquarium over the weekend has shocked East Londoners to the core. How or why could anyone stoop to such brutal behaviour?

It was a shocked and sad aquarium curator Willie Maritz who I spoke to yesterday. He found it difficult to put feelings into words but his determination to bring the culprits to book was clear.

I am sure all of us will back him and the police in their investigations to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.

He has his suspicions who it is, but until evidence is uncovered there is not much that can be done to apprehend them.

I wonder if those involved weren't disturbed during their attack on Saturday night when they killed three penguins and then returned to finish off the job on Sunday night. If that was the case then perhaps there is somebody who was in the area of the Esplanade on Saturday night, or more likely early Sunday morning, who just might have a shred of something to tell Maritz or the police that will assist in their investigations.

The birds were killed with a sharp object which resulted in all the blood being spilled. One can only think a long, heavy knife or panga-type weapon was used. And there must have been blood on clothes too. One person could not have done all that damage alone. Someone must have held the birds while the slashing was done by another.

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