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Hunting

Heroic rescue: Hunting dog survives deadly fall

Firefighters and the animal welfare unit intervened on 16 February 2025 at around 5 p.m. in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France, to rescue a hunting dog. The animal had become stranded on a rock ledge after a tremendous fall. The rescue operation lasted 4 hours.

Editorial team Wild beim Wild — 25 February 2025

A lucky escape for this hunting dog.

A hobby hunter's hunting dog survived an ordinarily fatal fall on Sunday, 16 February 2025, plummeting nearly 60 metres down a cliff face. It ultimately landed at extreme depth on a small rock ledge and waited patiently for help.

Drones locate the dog in the depths

The fire brigade and the specialist animal rescue unit were alerted by the hobby hunter.

The rescue teams therefore made their way to the scene of the accident to attempt to locate the animal. They deployed drones and were able to find the dog without difficulty. A rescuer was then lowered down with a harness to retrieve him.

Rescue operations for hunting dogs once a week

«He was not injured at all, just exhausted from remaining in the same position for so long,» said Commander Baro.

«During the hunting season, we intervene on average once a week to help dogs. They are so absorbed in their hobby hunting that they often fail to pay attention and end up in dangerous situations,» he admitted. Yet another example of the animal welfare problem of hobby hunting.

Following the intervention, the animal was ultimately returned to the hobby hunter. More on crime and hobby hunting.

More on the topic of hobby hunting: In our dossier on hunting we compile fact checks, analyses and background reports.

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