DOOR DAMAGED: Canaries and zebra finches escaped after vandals broke open the door to the aviary in the Botanical Gardens. Picture by Sophie Rishworth
DOOR DAMAGED: Canaries and zebra finches escaped after vandals broke open the door to the aviary in the Botanical Gardens. Picture by Sophie Rishworth
AROUND 30 birds flew from the aviary at the Botanical Gardens on Saturday morning after someone kicked in the door to their enclosure.
A mother taking her children to the playground at the gardens about 9.30am on Saturday noticed the door to the bird enclosure had been damaged — itlooked like it had been kicked in, she said.
In an effort to reduce the number of birds escaping, she put a nearby sign and a palm frond in the gap.
Poverty Bay Bird Club secretary Terry Nickerson said the 30 birds lost were a mixture of zebra finches and canaries.
“A couple of members of the public have seen some around.” Mr Nickerson said he would try to return the birds to the aviary once the repairs to the main door had been completed, which was expected to be today.
A post on the Gisborne District Council Facebook page shows the damaged door, and the lock mechanism on the ground.
The council is asking for anyone who saw anything suspicious around the aviary over the weekend, particularly Friday night or Saturday morning, to contact the police by calling 105.
