Illegal wolf killing in the Thuringian Wartburgkreis: Nabu raises the alarm!

Illegal wolf killing in the Thuringian Wartburgkreis: Nabu raises the alarm!

In the Wartburg district, the recent, illegal shooting of a WOLVES ensures great dismay and excitement among conservationists. The Nature Conservation Association (NABU) Thuringia has now announced legal steps and filed a criminal complaint against unknown persons after a wolf was found dead on a street near Hembach in 2023. At first it was assumed that the animal fell victim to a traffic accident. However, studies by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) confirmed that the wolf was shot. The wolf came from a pack in the Bavarian Rhön, while the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, as MDR.

The incident is particularly worrying because it is the first documented illegal wolf shot in Thuringia. New Year's Eve Tamás, wolf expert at Nabu Thuringia, expresses that Thuringia should be spared such incidents. Because of this, conservationists demand the establishment of a central unit to combat environmental crimes. In recent years there have been two cases in which Luchse were illegally killed, which also heats up the security situation for protected animals. It is also concerned that the educational rate of such offenses is zero, as according to Diethüringer was determined.

legal situation and hunting for wolves

The legal situation around wolves in Germany is complex. Wolves are under heavy protection and may only be killed in exceptional cases. In June 2023, however, the EU decided a change in the law that allows member countries to lower the protection status of wolves. In the case of sheep and goat tears through wolves, a easier granting of shooting permits is possible if wolf-proof fences have been overcome several times. In Germany there are currently at least 1,600 wolves, spread over 209 packs, 46 pairs and 19 individual animals, which, according to a survey n-tv represents for the previous year.

Despite the number of wolves that has been determined in recent years, the political efforts to change the legal hurdles for their killing have not yet been effective. However, agricultural associations and pet owners are increasingly advocating for more scope for action, since wolves in 2023 killed or injured over 5000 farm animals, especially sheep and goats. Many pet owners have also not sufficiently invested in protective measures, which leads to the high number of blacks.

In this tense situation, Peta has exposed a reward of 1,000 euros for references to the perpetrator of the illegal wolf committee, another step to draw public attention to the seriousness of the situation. A holistic approach to combating environmental crimes seems urgently necessary to prevent similar incidents in the future.