A man is currently under investigation by West Midlands Police after video surfaced showing him killing a goose at Ward End Park in Birmingham on October 19.. The footage captures the suspect using bread to lure the bird before snapping its neck in broad daylight while onlookers watched in horror.
The October 19 attack at Ward End Park
The incident occurred in the suburbs of Birmingham, where a man dressed in a navy Nike hoodie, black coat, and trousers was filmed calmly executing the bird. According to the report, the suspect used a box of bread to attract the goose before breaking its neck, leaving the animal twitching on the turf. Bystanders who filmed the event expressed immediate distress, capturing the bird's pained squeals as the man remained blankly indifferent to the camera.
West Midlands Police have confirmed they are probing the video as part of a wider investigation into animal cruelty. A spokesperson for the force stated that officers are collaborating with the local authority and Ward End Park management to identify the individual responsible and establish the exact circumstances of the killing.
RSPCA's 359 reported incidents of wild bird cruelty
This attack coincides with a worrying upward trend in violence against wildlife. As reported in the source, the RSPCA noted that reports of cruelty involving wild birds reached a five-year peak during the summer of 2025. Specifically, the charity recorded 359 incidents in July and August 2025, a figure that nearly doubles the 179 reports received during the same window in 2024.
The West Midlands region alone accounted for 26 of those summer reports. The RSPCA highlighted that pigeons, gulls, swans, ducks, and corvids—such as magpies and crows—are the most frequent targets. These attacks often involve the use of air weapons and catapults, though the Ward End Park incident represents a more visceral, hands-on form of violence.
Joey Alexander's warning on poacher luring techniques
Animal cruelty investigator Joey Alexander has drawn parallels between the Birmingham incident and other disturbing patterns of abuse. Mr. Alexander noted that the method of luring an animal with food is a technique occasionally employed by farm poachers, though it is rarely seen performed so brazenly in a public space .. He compared the callousness of the act to a previous investigation at a free-range turkey farm in Essex, where birds were reportedly swung by their necks and discarded in bins.
This wave of cruelty extends beyond birds. the report mentions a recent incident in Hull, East Yorkshire, where two thieves stole an eight-year-old pet rabbit named Peter from a garden pen. The thieves were filmed laughing and joking about turning the pet into "shashlik" before dumping the animal in a car park, suggesting a broader climate of opportunistic animal abuse.
Who is the man in the navy Nike hoodie?
Despite the clarity of the video,the identity of the suspect remains unconfirmed. A significant point of contention has emerged on social media, where users claim that community officers had already warned the man in the clip about similar behavior in the days leading up to the October 19 attack. It remains unclear if West Midlands Police can verify these claims or if the suspect has a prior history of animal cruelty.
Furthermore, while Mr. alexander suggested that some individuals kill wild animals in parks to take them home for food, there is currently no evidence to confirm if the suspect intended to consume the goose or if the act was purely malicious. The investigation continues as authorities appeal for witnesses who may recognize the man in the navy Nike hoodie.
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