As many people are now aware, there have been a number of victims of the person killing cats and other animals including rabbits and foxes in the greater London area and now beyond, with suspected cases in St Albans, Northamptonshire, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and Maidstone.

We are working with the police to identify the culprit.  Until they are caught, we advise that anyone living in the greater London area and areas listed above, keep their cats indoors as much as they can and let them out only during the day when they can be supervised.  Please keep your cats in at night.  We appreciate this isn't easy, particularly as the weather gets warmer but you will cut the risk to your cat dramatically if you keep them indoors during the hours of darkness.

If you live in Greater London you are currently living in a very high risk area for these killings.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

If you see anyone behaving oddly around cats, foxes or birds in the area from Manchester down to the South Coast, please call this into police via 101 with a full description of the person and what they are doing, and quote Operation Takahe (pronounced Takkahay) in the call.  Where possible get vehicle registration details.  Please then text us the police or CAD reference number to 07957 830490 or 07961 030064.

If you see anyone catching a cat, kidnapping a cat or fox or bird, hurting, kicking, standing on or otherwise causing harm to a cat or fox or bird in the same geographical area, that same advice applies except that's a 999 call.

If you find a body which is decapitated/ has the tail/ paws removed or body parts (heads, legs, paws or tails), please call us on 07961 030064 or 07957 830490 immediately.  Please stay with the body/parts if you can and prevent any council or waste services from touching or removing it and anyone from photographing it.  Our phones are by nature busy so if you can't get through on one number, try the other.

If you have any information about who might be committing these offences, please call the team running Operation Takahe on 0208 6490216.  If you feel uneasy speaking to the police, you can contact us instead on the mobile numbers listed above.  All calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

You can contact us via Facebook: South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty – SNARL. 

Any information received will be treated with the strictest confidence.