Vaud justice system investigates suspected wolf poacher
Published: Tuesday, Jan 9th 2024, 13:20
Back to Live Feed
A case of wolf poaching occurred in the Broye region of Vaud at the turn of the year. The authorities filed a criminal complaint.
The remains of a 32-kilo male wolf were found on January 3 in a forest near the village of Oleyres in the municipality of Avenches, the canton of Vaud's environment department announced on Tuesday. The carcass was transferred to the National Competence Center for Wildlife Diseases at the University of Bern. According to the authorities, the autopsy showed that the wolf had been killed with a firearm about a week before its remains were found.
This is the first known case of wolf poaching in the canton, said Denis Rychner, spokesman for the Directorate-General for the Environment, when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency. There have already been cases of lynx poaching, but so far not wolves.
There are no suspects at the moment, says Rychner. However, it is hoped that the perpetrator will be found. The identification of the animal based on its DNA is still ongoing and should be completed by the end of January, according to the canton.
Up to one year in prison
However, the authorities already assume that the wolf was shot illegally. They have filed a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor's office. According to the press release, they will initiate an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the case.
The Council of State condemned the act in the strongest terms and emphasized that all suspected cases of poaching brought to its attention would be prosecuted. The Federal Hunting Act punishes poaching with fines and up to one year in prison.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic