Senior Constable Rob Hanger from Moonee Ponds police said the bird then fell unconscious, and one person held the bird’s head out of the water until police arrived. The swan died about 20 minutes later. The swan was nesting at the time, and Senior Constable Hanger said its partner was now sitting on a nest of eggs beside the lake. "He’s obviously waiting for her to return," he said. He said he hoped the teenagers would feel guilty enough to turn themselves in. "Maybe they’ll have a think about their actions and how stupid it was," Senior Constable Hanger said. "It will only take one to come forward."

He said he was sure the offenders had spoken about the attack and encouraged people who knew them to call Crime Stoppers, stressing that it could be anonymous. Police will also look at CCTV footage from nearby railway stations and shopping centres to try to identify the youths involved. RSPCA spokesman Greg Boland said swans usually mated for life, and there would be harsh ramifications for the remaining bird. "This will impact upon rearing the young," Mr Boland said. This swan will have to try and raise the cygnets alone which is going to be quite a concern from an animal welfare perspective.

"This swan will have to try and raise the cygnets alone which is going to be quite a concern from an animal welfare perspective. "The swan is a mother doing what all mothers would do, and that’s protecting its young, and for these people to come along and allegedly throw stones at it and then cause it to actually die is abhorrent. "Not only is it extreme animal cruelty, but there’s a strong link between people who are involved in animal cruelty, especially at a young age, and later on in life moving on and becoming involved with quite serious crimes against humanity." Senior Constable Hanger said the offenders - four males and two females aged between about 15 and 17 - were on a new boardwalk over the lake when the attack occurred. They were only a few metres from where the swan was swimming, he said.

"The witnesses didn’t see what was thrown but obviously heard the commotion when the swan became distressed," he said. "We arrived very quickly, we were only three minutes away, and one of the witnesses was holding the swan’s neck out of the water. It was still alive at that point but it died probably 15-20 minutes later. "It may have only been one object thrown, we can’t say, because we don’t have any witnesses to what was actually thrown or how many objects were thrown. "The object hit it fair in the head. We couldn’t see any other wounds on it so I’m tipping it was a direct hit." Moonee Valley Mayor John Sipek said he could not understand why anyone would hurt an innocent animal.

He said the dead swan had laid two eggs in its nest, and its partner now appeared to be caring for them. "Council rangers will keep a close eye on the swan and its eggs to ensure their safety and wellbeing," he said. The teenagers are thought to have run from the park when the bird was injured. Both girls are described as wearing denim shorts. One had strawberry blonde hair. One of the boys, who had dark hair, was wearing a red baseball cap turned backwards. Another of the boys had red hair, while another was wearing a grey jacket.

Loading Mr Boland said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty was two years’ imprisonment and a $25,000 fine. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au



