RSPCA fear swans are being targetted for food after two birds shot with a crossbow Female swan killed and male found with four-inch bolt in its flesh RSPCA say swans are considered a delicacy in parts of Eastern Europe Hunters who shot at swans may have been unaware of UK laws against it The RSPCA has voiced fears that swans are being killed to be eaten after a pair were found shot with a high-powered crossbow. The male and female swans, who have mated for life, were discovered in a river with the one foot long wooden bolts speared into their bodies. The male survived the attack but the body of the female swan was found on the River Stour at Throop, near Bournemouth, Dorset. A male swan was found on the River Stour at Throop in Dorset having been hit with a crossbow arrow which an RSPCA officer said may have been fired by a non-British person An RSPCA officer and four firemen managed to rescue the male mute swan but were unable to catch his terrified partner An RSPCA officer and four firemen managed to rescue the male mute swan but were unable to catch his terrified partner, which later died. An X-ray later showed the bolt and metal arrow-head had lodged five inches into the male bird's body, missing his heart by a fraction of an inch. He underwent surgery to remove the missile and is now recovering. RSPCA inspector Graham Hammond said: "It is educated guesswork but I don't believe this is the work of thugs looking for their kicks because they would normally use stones or catapults. It is possible that someone who is non-British may have considered these swans to be food. In Britain swans are revered and are heavily protected. I suspect that this has been carried out by someone who is not aware of their status. This was a sophisticated, high-powered crossbow that would have had to have been concealed so not to arouse suspicion. Swans aren't far removed from a goose or turkey, a big bird with a lot of meat on them. I suspect the intention of the offenders was to remove them. An X-ray showed a four-inch bolt near heart of the unfortunate swan which was fired at with a crossbow A vet removed part of the missile from the swan, which survived the attack but became separated from its mate The male swan was found with the bolt embedded in its back while the female had the arrow in her side, close to the waterline. He said: "I saw bolts in both of them. Myself and four firemen in dry suits waded into the river and we managed to catch the male, although the bolt snapped in two. We spent about three hours trying to catch the female but she was terrified and wouldn't let us near her. The male was X-rayed and he was hit in the back and it came within a few milimetres of his heart. He underwent surgery under general anesthetic to remove the 10cm long broken section of the bolt. It is particularly sad because the swans have been on this territory for a number of years. The male swan has now recovered well enough to be released back into the wild again. Mr Hammond added: 'The male will be pining for the female. 'It sounds a bit extreme, but we may have to show the male the female's body so that he knows what has happened. Hopefully he will find another mate. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to kill, injure or harm a wild bird and the penalty for killing or injuring a swan carries a fine of up to £5,000 and six months in prison. In Britain all swans are a protected species owned by the Queen and until 1998 it was considered treason to kill a swan. But in parts of Eastern Europe they are considered a delicacy. Mr Hammond said the RSPCA will examine the broken arrow for DNA and cross-reference any sample with the police database in a bid to catch the offender. It is not the first time a swan has been targetted to be killed for the table. Last year there was a spate of swan attacks in Lincoln and one involved a swan being bludgeoned to death with nail-embedded sticks by a group of five men. The RSPCA believed the motive was to remove the bird to eat it.