A 28-year-old man is in police custody facing several charges relating to the death of ducks in Whakatāne.

A police spokesman said police had responded to reports of a man allegedly being cruel to ducks around 9am on Saturday, April 1.

“When police arrived they located a male in possession of a knife and a dead duck near Martin Pl,” he said.

The spokesman said the 28-year-old man was in custody on charges of unlawful hunting, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard and possession of an offensive weapon. He was due to appear in the Whakatāne District Court tomorrow.