BBC call cruelty to Swan a prank

[Lightswitchesoffatnight]

AIBU to call the BBC out on this?

BBC report a sock was pulled over a swan's head in a "mindless prank" that could have led to the bird's death.
Police believe the garment was put on intentionally due to the "snug fit" and "how far down the neck the tube was".
Had it not been rescued, officers said, the swan, found in Coulson Road, Lincoln, would likely have starved to death or suffocated.

This isn’t a fucking prank, it’s cruelty to a beautiful bird.

Awful. How can people do such a thing & then just swan off & leave the poor bird like that.

BBC didn't seem it a prank themselves, they have quoted direct from the RSPCA officer who issued a statement

Inspector Kate Burris, from the wildlife charity, said the "mindless prank could have resulted in this poor swan suffering over a long period of time and ultimately ended in their death."

*deem not seem

And I'm in no way trying to minimise what happened, which is fucking awful. But BBC have used quotation marks around prank in all written reporting on it.

It’s not a “mindless prank” some bastard put effort into being a cruel bastard to the innocent swan

It's cruelty that could have killed the animal.

WTF goes through the mind of people who do sick shit like this. Poor bird.

Policing language gets old really quickly. I could say that you posting, "it’s cruelty to a beautiful bird" implies it wouldn't have mattered if it was an ugly animal.

Fact is, it doesn't matter how it's described since the arseholes who do this kind of thing don't give a shit about your opinion or the RSPCA's.

I wish they hadn't publicised it; all that can do is give twats ideas.

Awful to call it a prank and awful cruelty.

@MrsTerryPratchett

Policing language gets old really quickly. I could say that you posting, "it’s cruelty to a beautiful bird" implies it wouldn't have mattered if it was an ugly animal.

Fact is, it doesn't matter how it's described since the arseholes who do this kind of thing don't give a shit about your opinion or the RSPCA's.

I absolutely take your point. Any animal, any cruelty just turns my stomach.

The BBC was quoting the rspca. Other news stations have done the same thing.

You're right that it's jot a prank, it's animal cruelty but take it up with the rspca if the language bothers you

@BeefSupreme

It’s not a “mindless prank” some bastard put effort into being a cruel bastard to the innocent swan

This 100%.

I’m with Frankenstein- the BBC either should not have reported it, or just gone with unspecified “cruelty to a swan”.
There will now, no doubt, be copycat incidents from other sick bastards.

To be honest, the first thing that I thought of when I saw it was how the fuck do you get a sock on a Swan without being injured yourself? It's just such a bizarre thing to do.

YABU for the misleading title. They've quoted the RSPCA, and the 'mindless' makes it clear that it was not condoned.

@FrankensteinIsTheMonster

I wish they hadn't publicised it; all that can do is give twats ideas.

This. 100%

It’s a cruel and nasty thing to do but part of me really wants to know how the heck they caught the swan and held it down long enough to pull a sock over its head. Swans are big birds with very powerful wings and known for their bad temper. They’ve attacked people before, particularly when they’ve young nearby