Bavaria: 185 Cases of Wildlife Crime Since 2010

Nature conservation organisations, police, and the judiciary are increasingly taking action against the illegal persecution and commercialisation of protected bird species in Bavaria.

185 Cases, Over 450 Victims

As reported by the Recording and Documentation Centre for Raptor Persecution and Wildlife Crime (E.D.G.A.R.), a total of 185 cases involving more than 450 victims have been registered in the Free State since 2010. These included 93 cases of deliberate poisoning, 30 cases of shooting, 27 cases of trapping or snaring using illegal devices, and 35 cases involving other offences such as illegal possession and sale of stuffed birds or the deliberate destruction of nests. The animals killed or traded were primarily birds of prey such as red kites, goshawks, and buzzards, but also other species including woodcocks, tufted ducks, Eurasian jays, as well as grey and great egrets.

The dark figure is very high — we estimate that at most 10 percent of all offences committed ever come to light.

Biologist and committee spokesperson Karl Heinz Kreutzer from Augsburg

Poisoning Series in Lower Bavaria

The districts of Landshut (13 cases since 2010), Dingolfing (11 cases), Straubing-Bogen (10 cases) and Freising (8 cases) are particularly severely affected. In the first quarter of 2021, 12 cases have so far come to light in Bavaria. These include an alleged series of poisonings in the Straubing-Bogen district, where police seized four dead buzzards, a great egret, and suspicious bait at the end of March following reports from passers-by. Last Friday (9 April), another dead bird of prey was discovered near Obersunzing by staff from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter and recovered by police. The birds are to be examined for poison residues by experts from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich.

Illegal trade in protected birds

According to the Committee, association staff have also gathered extensive evidence in recent months of illegal trade in shot woodcocks, Eurasian jays, ducks, and other bird species across 14 taxidermists and hunting outfitters from throughout Germany, including five companies from Bavaria. The public prosecutor's offices in Deggendorf and Landshut are investigating two hobby hunters who, in violation of existing marketing bans, conducted an extensive trade in frozen corvids and ducks. During searches of the suspects' residential and business premises earlier this year, more than 150 frozen bird carcasses, data storage devices, and business records from the past three years were seized.

Two trophy dealers from Nuremberg and the Traunstein district were reported by bird protection activists because they had offered various particularly and strictly protected species as taxidermied specimens for sale on the internet. Among the species offered were stuffed birds of prey. The authorities are now investigating in this case as well.

The Munich II public prosecutor's office is currently investigating a traditional costume fashion company. The suspicion: illegal trade in Eurasian jay feathers, which were processed into, among other things, hat decorations. In total, more than 90 individual sales are involved, the legality of which is now being examined.

Up to five years' imprisonment possible

In the event of a conviction, the accused face charges under the Federal Nature Conservation Act and hunting law heavy fines; the possible sentencing range extends up to five years imprisonment. Recreational hunters additionally face revocation of their hunting licence.

The committee calls for reporting any suspicious finds or sales offers either to the police or to the nationwide hotline «Greifvogelverfolgung» (telephone: 0228-665521, email to EDGAR@komitee.de).