The organization said the donkeys were “brutally slaughtered.”

“These innocent animals, which are the symbol of Cyprus, were brutally shot and killed as a result of a brutal act of violence,” it said.

It was pointed out that one of the donkeys killed was pregnant and giving birth at the time and it was stated that this incident in particular had ‘broken our hearts’.

“Initial findings on site revealed that the animals were shot at close range,” it said.

It said police had launched an investigation into the matter and that the organization had "a lot to say, but we need some time as a team to express our feelings in a healthy way."

The incident occurred a month after a donkey was left in “ critical condition ” after being shot multiple times by a hunter.

The director of the Tashkent Nature Park, Kemal Basat, called those who kill donkeys “natural terrorists” at the time and added: “The biggest enemy of hunting is its inability to get rid of black sheep.”

"These human-looking killers roam through nature with hunting rifles with government permission. The fact that a psychopathic killer has a hunting license paves the way for such incidents," he added.

Tashkent Nature Park oversees the “Karpasia Donkey Management Plan ”, which aims to “save” the donkeys and ensure that they do not damage the crops of farmers in the region.

The project is organised jointly with the Ministry of Tourism of the North and the Turkish Cypriot municipality of Rizokarpaso and Yialousa.

Basat told the Cyprus Mail : “It is planned that donkeys will be counted, caught, health checked and registered .”

"The national park area at the tip of the Karpas Peninsula will be redesigned, feeding and water troughs will be installed at suitable locations and scientific studies will be carried out to determine the overall capacity of the area."

He added that each donkey in Karpasia will be "individually registered" over the next three years and then "managed" under the plan.

"The ultimate goal is to ensure that donkeys live safely and meet the animal welfare standards they deserve . We also need to protect nature from unintentional damage caused by donkeys and protect local people's products from donkeys in a correct and healthy way," he said.

Source: CyprusMail.com

Author: Tom Cleaver