[WATCH] Another two protected birds gunned down in first week of hunting season

Another two protected birds were shot down today, bringing the total number of protected birds killed so far since this hunting season to four, BirdLife Malta said this afternoon.

The hunting season opened on the 1 September.

The two birds, a Grey Heron and a Night Heron were found alive, however they later succumbed to their injuries, the NGO said.

One bird was found in the grounds of De La Salle College in Cottonera, under similar circumstance to those in April 2015, when another shot bird landed in the yard of St Edwards College, close to De La Salle College.

The incident sparked outrage and causedPrime Minister Joseph Muscat to close the hunting season prematurely.

The second bird was shot later in the day in Mgarr ix-Xini in Gozo, which was discovered by a 16-year-old boy who was walking in a nearby valley.

Earlier in the week two shot Bee Eaters were also retrieved by members of the public in two separate incidents.