Four alpacas shot dead in Cambridgeshire village
Four alpacas have been shot dead in a rural village in Cambridgeshire.
The animals, along with a sheep, were killed in the parish of East Hatley, near Gamlingay, between 6pm on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday.
A fifth alpaca also received a gunshot wound to its face but survived the incident off Main Street, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said.
Sgt Tom Nuttall, from the Rural Crime Action Team, said: 'This was a highly distressing crime that has caused death and serious injury to defenceless animals.
'I would encourage anyone who knows anything about this offence to get in touch as soon as possible.'
Officers have carried out house-to-house enquiries and investigating officers have appealed for information.
Alpacas originate from Peru but have become increasingly popular in the UK at farms and attractions.
There are thought to be around 35,000 alpacas living in the UK and they are often treated more like pets than livestock.
In 2021 an alpaca living in Gloucestershire became the centre of a High Court battle after it tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
Geronimo's owner, Helen Macdonald, insisted the animal was well and had produced two false positive results.
Thousands signed a petition in a bid to thwart the animal's execution before officials from Defra officials removed it from its paddock in Gloucestershire and euthanised it.
Last year a herd of alpacas escaped from a farm in Cambridge and wandered onto a busy dual carriageway, forcing drivers doing 70mph to swerve out of the way.
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