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Vandals have defaced two of the lion statues standing guard on the south end of the Lions Gate Bridge.

The statues are on the overpass above the Stanley Park Causeway. The damage was discovered early this morning.

The snout and paws of one of the statues has been damaged and nearly the entire face of the other lion has been broken off.

“It just made me so mad,” said Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert. “To see someone smash them in such a manner… what kind of idiot would do this? What kind of idiot would smash something so treasured?”

The city says the Parks Board is assessing the damage and looking at restoration options for the statues.

Vancouver police say they are investigating the vandalism.

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“Investigators will be working with the Vancouver Park Board to ensure those responsible are held accountable for taking the roar out of these two lions,” says VPD spokesperson Sergeant Randy Fincham.

These smaller lions were installed in 1998 and are similar to original 1939-era lions at the entrance to the bridge. Those larger lions are undamaged.

This is the second time the lions have been vandalized.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Vancouver Police Department at 604-717-3321 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.