Scandalous persecution of birds of prey in Germany

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In a well-planned and large scale raid by police and teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), hunting reserves in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) were searched over a period of 5 days in mid-January 2009.

A total of 28 illegal wildlife traps were found including four huge raptor and corvid traps and five steel traps. Eight dead birds of prey, a live Common Buzzard and two shot Grey herons were seized. It is feared that this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as persecution of birds of prey by gamekeepers in Germany is concerned.

A full report with a photographic record of the events can be seen online at:

http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?raid_2009

http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?barbarastein

http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?wesel

The NRW branch of the German Hunting Association has condemned the persecution and states: “The swift clearing-up of these criminal actions is welcomed by German hunters”.



David Conlin