WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
Invercargill residents were greeted with the sight of dead duck carcasses dotted along its main streets in the early hours of this morning.
People out on the town spotted the ducks on the corner of Herbert Street and Racecourse Road and several others further down Herbert Street.
Invercargill Vegan Society member Jordan Wyatt, 29, felt compelled after seeing the reports of the bird carcasses crop up on a local Facebook page to get them off the roads.
"I was determined to be there and bury them and just give them some dignity really."
What he found was unpleasant.
"Their breasts had been sliced open and out, their chest muscles taken as 'meat' the rest of their bodies and entrails left scooped out and dangling in public view."
He said a number of the ducks had been dumped outside a local church - which he felt was a sign someone had been trying to purposely trouble residents.
"I'm not a religious person, but throwing them at a church on a Sunday morning, I feel they did it to upset people."
He didn't notify police or council of the dead ducks and had since "buried the evidence".
"They are buried in the front garden, by my hydrangea plants, which I thought was a nice touch."
Together with his fellow vegan society members Wyatt created a video - to try to dissuade others from what he saw as disrespectful behavior.
"It's so cruel and so uncaring; I wanted to say please people don't do this to animals."
Wyatt called to put an end to hunting all together - or at the very least to not just shoot them to death for fun or entertainment.
The Herald has sought comment from the police and Invercargill City Council.