A Scots dog walker has spoken of her horror after finding a decapitated deer stuffed in an Asda carrier bag in what she believes was a 'trophy kill'.
Annmarie Currie was walking her three German Shepherds next to a pond near Cornelia Street in Motherwell on Sunday when she made the grim discovery.
One of her dogs raced into the pond and came back out pulling the plastic carrier back from the water.
Thinking it was rubbish, Annmarie went down to look but was horrified to find a pair of blue gloves and the remains of a butchered deer.
Annmarie said she then realised the deer had been decapitated and the sight drove her to tears.
She told the Record: "I walk my three German Shepherds on the same route at least twice a day.
"We were down and my three dogs were away playing at the pond. They seemed distracted by something and wouldn't come back so I went down after them.
"One of my dogs started pulling an Asda bag out of the water. I thought it was just a bag of rubbish but when I pulled it, I saw all the fur.
"I burst out crying - initially I thought it was a dog.
"Then I recognised the leg of a deer and emptied the bag out. There were internal organs, four legs and the torso.
It was at that point I realised the head was missing.
"A pair of blue gloves were also stuffed inside the bag. They had obviously used them and put them in the bag.
"They hadn't even tied the bag before throwing it into the pond."
She immediately reported the find to police when she returned home.
She said the area is notorious for rubbish and fly tipping and Annmarie believes this might be part of the reason the deer was dumped into the pond.
She added: "It is bad enough an adult found that - never mind if it was a child.
"It is mind boggling how anyone could hurt an animal.
"How can somebody be so cruel?
"One of my dogs sat down next to it and kept nudging it as if to say whats going on. why isn't it moving? It was heartbreaking.
"Obviously someone is out there poaching. Nature is nature but you can tell straightaway the difference between if a deer has died naturally or if it has been killed as a trophy killing."
Deer poaching in Scotland is illegal and it is a crime to wilfully kill or injure a deer.
Enquiries into the incident are currently ongoing.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.20am on Sunday, 28 March, we received a report of a bag containing animal remains near the frog pond on Cornelia Street in Motherwell.
“Enquires are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent, Mike Flynn, said, “Deer poaching is illegal in Scotland, and to commit this crime inflicts cruel and unnecessary suffering on the deer. As a Society we are completely opposed to any form of blood sport including poaching of any kind.
“If you come across a deer poaching incident, please report this to Police Scotland as it is a wildlife crime.
“If you find a deer, or any other animal, to be injured, abandoned or neglected, please contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
