Olivia Burke
WARNING: Contains distressing images
Farmers in Cambridgeshire are living in fear of their animals being slaughtered after four alpacas were brutally shot in the head.
Villagers in East Hatley have been left horrified by the 'bloodbath' which owner Dawn French, 58, woke up to on Sunday (23 March) morning.
She said the six-acre field where she has kept her herd and one ewe for the past six years resembled a 'murder scene', following the execution-style killings.
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Four of Dawn's beloved alpacas - Calvin, Klein, Martha and Juniper - were fatally shot in the head with a rifle, police have said.
She described the scene as 'just hideous', adding that it was 'very very upsetting' and 'very traumatic' to see.
"It looked like a murder scene when we arrived," Dawn said. "The alpacas had all been shot in the head like an execution. It was absolute carnage.
"It's something I would never want to see ever again and wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."
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Another alpaca, named Phoebe, was also cruelly blasted in the face with a bullet but miraculously survived the incident, while a sixth named Frankie was unharmed.
Dawn was dealt another blow when she discovered her ewe had been savaged by a dog, meaning the sheep had to be put down.
Police said the alpaca killings took place between 6pm on Saturday (22 March) and 8.30am the following morning in the quiet village.
"This was a highly distressing crime that has caused death and serious injury to defenceless animals," Sgt Tom Nuttall, from the rural crime action team, said.
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Cops are still on the hunt for the shooter, who Dawn believes could be something of a trained assassin due to the manner of the gory murders.
She explained that the owners of the farm where she rents the field for her animals were home when the incident occurred, but bizarrely didn't hear anything.
That's why she now believes that the killer might have used a silencer and possibly even a scope during the attack.
Sharing her suspicions, Dawn told The Times: "I think they’ve been shot from a distance, possibly with a scope.
"I don’t think it would have been point blank because you wouldn’t get close enough, as they would have been running around.
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"Whether they’ve got night vision to see them, because it was dark, I don’t know. But whoever has done it is a bloody good shot, sadly."
A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that the weapon believed to have been used was a '.22 or higher rifle'.
The 'traumatised' animals who survived the incident have been moved to a more secure pen, while Dawn is keeping a close eye on them via CCTV.
She explained that Phoebe has been left with a 'nasty wound and paralysis' in her face after the shooting, adding that the alpaca is now on 'strong painkillers'.
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"There appeared to have been a dog in the field as there were dog footprints everywhere and sheep's fleece on the ground where it appeared to have pulled [at] the sheep," Dawn added.
"It all seems completely unreal, like something from a movie. We've had scenes of crime here investigating and the police are very concerned because a gun was used."
Cops from Cambridgeshire Police have been carrying out house-to-house enquiries, while urging anyone with information, CCTV, or dashcam footage to come forward.
Dawn added: "They're lovely creatures, they've all got their own characters and it's just senseless - I can't understand how anyone could think of doing this to animals so sweet, so harmless, so inquisitive."
Other animal owners have said they are now 'beefing up' security measures in wake of the alpacas being slaughtered.
Tracey Birch, 64, who lives in the nearby village of Bourne and has 29 of the fluffy animals which are native to Peru, said she is installing motion sensors and is reinforcing the fencing around her fields.
She slammed the unknown perpetrator as a 'sicko gunman' who was using alpacas for 'target practice', adding: "Frankly, I’m terrified. They’re gentle souls, they’re not aggressive, they’re not nasty, there’s absolutely no reason to target them."
Dawn said she doesn't know if she could 'actually walk back in that field and unsee what I’ve seen', telling The Guardian: "It’s a bit like PTSD."