Seven dead lambs have been discovered in the highly protected Blackwater River in Co Kerry on Monday.

The discovery was made in the Moll’s Gap area of the river, on the Sneem road.

“This case of dumping is particularly sickening as the river is home to the almost extinct pearl mussel freshwater species,” Kerry county vet Paddy Fenton told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“The person who reported the incident told me they had found lambs in this part of the river many times before in previous years and decided to finally make local authorities aware this year.”

Seven dead lambs found dumped in the River Blackwater in Co Kerry.

Building a case

The dog warden for Kerry has retrieved the lambs from the river and the county veterinary office has launched an investigation to establish the origin.

“We suspect it may have been a farmer in close proximity to the site. The lambs appear to have been just dumped from the roadside,” Fenton continued.

“The lambs were found without their tags, but we have a good idea of who it was and will be building a case over the next couple of weeks.”