Shock in Thuringia: First illegal wolf shot causes horror!

Shock in Thuringia: First illegal wolf shot causes horror!

In Thuringia, a shocking incident causes dismayed reactions among conservationists: An illegally shot wolf was found on a street near Hembach/Bad Salzungen at the end of 2023. The Thuringian Ministry of the Environment has now officially confirmed that the wolf did not come to death through a traffic accident, but through human action. New Year's Eve Tamás from Nabu Thuringia expresses his horror about this first illegal shooting of a wolve in Thuringia, which not only violates the high protection status of the animals, but also undermines trust in the protection of wild animals. NABU Thuringia in this context calls for the establishment of an unit to combat environmental crims.

The wolf from the wild spot pack in Bavaria leaves questions. Where exactly was he killed? This remains unclear, but computer tomography from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research found that it was an illegal shooting. While two lynxes have also been illegally killed in recent years, the educational rate of such cases shows alarming low values - de facto at zero. This makes it extremely difficult for the authorities to act against such acts. In Thuringia, the shooting of wolves, which, like Luchse according to § 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, enjoy a high protection status, is a criminal act that can be punished with both the sense of money and prison, as well as n-tv reported.

of wolves and hunting for them

The situation for the wolves in Germany remains tense. Again and again there are reports on illegal killings that threaten the population. In Bavaria, for example, the Bavarian State Office for the Environment reported that the number of wolves increased to 56 in the monitoring year 2023/24. However, these figures take into account the losses by illegal killings, which in recent years significantly endanger the balance of wild animal stocks. The neighboring pack of Wildflecken has also been struggling with losses since 2024, including a young wolf and a puppy that have died through human action, as can be read on [wolf protection Germany] (https://wolfsschutz-Deutschland.de/)

Despite the iron protection regulations, there are always reports of rides that were not caused by wolves. The EU has already downgraded the wolves' protection status, while the herd protection measures that sometimes show success are still inadequate for cattle and cows. For example, the Wolf Griso already tore six unprotected sheep in August 2024. Hunting Minister Hubert Aiwanger calls for an adaptation of the Bavarian Hunting Act, while Minister of Forestry Michaela Kaniber dismisses this as a symbol policy. The discussion about the status and safety of the wolves remains tense and shows how explosive the topic is in public perception.

In Thuringia it remains to be seen whether the measures required, such as the above -mentioned staff point are actually set up - a step that seems urgently necessary to prevent the illegal killings of wolves and other protected wild animals and to ensure a better understanding and acceptance among the population.