Bad Dürkheim: Hunter repeatedly sets dog on terrified wild boar

A whistleblower drew PETA's attention to shocking video footage recorded in a forest in the Bad Dürkheim district: the recordings, believed to have been made in April, show a “hunting dog” attacking a wild boar that had either been shot or was already severely weakened by recreational hunting.

In its panic, the wild boar desperately tried to find shelter in ground hollows or beneath a fallen tree trunk, repeatedly collapsing from exhaustion. The alleged blood-tracking dog handler continually urged the dog to “bite in” and “get it” throughout what appeared to be a minutes-long attack. Last week, PETA filed a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor's office in Frankenthal (Palatinate) against the as yet unidentified perpetrator, on suspicion of violations of the Animal Welfare Act as well as several regulatory offences. The animal rights organisation is calling for the man's hunting licence to be revoked and for recreational hunting to be banned entirely, arguing that such incidents are no exception.

«It is barely imaginable how much the animal must have suffered in its panic and pain. This incident is, however, yet another piece of evidence of how cruel recreational hunting can be. For many so-called huntsmen, this kind of animal cruelty apparently even provides a thrill, as they feel a sense of power when deciding over life and death. The fact that the hobby hunter watched the wild boar suffer for so long and even egged the dog on is deeply alarming. We demand severe punishment,» said Nadja Michler, wildlife expert at PETA.

Duties as a hobby hunter in Bad Dürkheim massively neglected

Since the wild boar in the video already appears to be injured, PETA assumes that the filmed scenes show what is known as a tracking search in Bad Dürkheim. The briefly visible orange signal clothing, typical of hunters, suggests that the incident occurred following a recreational hunt or a hunting bloodhound training exercise. Those involved massively neglected their duties as hobby hunters: throughout the video, the dog can repeatedly be heard being egged on. None of those present attempts to call the dog back or stop the attacks by any other means. By the end, the wild boar can barely stand, let alone walk. Only after a further bite from the dog does it rear up once more, before immediately collapsing again. Cases like this document the systemic animal welfare problem of recreational hunting.

Similar case in 2019 ended with a substantial penalty

It is not the first time that PETA has received video footage of wild boar hunts in which animal welfare laws have clearly been violated. A similar case in Saxony-Anhalt ended last year with a substantial fine for a hobby hunter who caused unnecessary suffering to a wild boar during a driven hunt in Hohengöhren-Damm. The animal was shot seven to eight times and spent at least half an hour trying to find safety while in mortal agony. The hobby hunter stood by without intervening, instead of putting the animal out of its misery. In November 2019, several “hunting dogs” attacked and bit a wild boar near Gelnhausen (Hesse) for at least ten minutes before a hobby hunter finally stepped in. In this case too, PETA filed a criminal complaint.

PETA fundamentally opposes recreational hunting. Under the guise of a connection to nature, hobby hunters cause unimaginable suffering. According to the Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare, up to two thirds of wild animals do not die immediately during driven hunts. With shattered bones and protruding entrails, the animals flee, often suffering from their injuries for days and dying in agony if they are not found during the search. More on hunting myths at wildbeimwild.com.