Fourteen birds found coated in glue near a Wellington mall earlier this week have died.
It comes after 17 swallows were found by shoppers near Queensgate Mall, in Lower Hutt, on Thursday.
The birds were taken to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust in an attempt to save their lives.
However, all but three of the birds died.
The rescue’s director, Craig Shepherd, suspects animal cruelty is at play.
"We’ve never had anything like this before," Shepherd told 1News.
"It’s either a deliberate act, or someone’s done something really stupid."
Shepherd contacted the SPCA to report the incident and to investigate possible animal cruelty.
One witness, Ymmij Rameka, was among the shoppers who discovered some of the birds in the carpark.
"We came out of the movies and there were some birds on the floor, and one that dropped right in front of us," she said.
"We were shocked. They were covered in a clear, sticky liquid."
A manager from Queensgate Mall is expected to contact the rescue about the incident tomorrow, Shepherd said.
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