Valais Game Wardens Suspected of Poaching

Several game wardens in Valais are accused of shooting predators in the canton without authorisation.

State employees pose in a photo holding a dead lynx.

Game wardens are responsible for the protection of wildlife. However, as "Blick" reports, three game wardens in the canton of Valais are under suspicion of poaching. Several criminal proceedings are currently underway against one still-active game warden. The man is accused of keeping two eagles captive at his home and of illegally shooting a deer in a hunting reserve.

The newspaper also publishes a photo showing the game warden holding a dead lynx. What makes this particularly explosive: despite ideal conditions, no lynx live in the southern part of the canton of Valais. There has long been suspicion that poachers kill the animals as soon as they enter the canton. The game warden is also said to have urged hunters to shoot lynx. “He said it was our job to exterminate the predators in Valais,” said a hunter who wishes to remain anonymous.

If witness statements are to be believed, among the 25 professional game wardens, 118 non-state auxiliary game wardens, and 3,000 hunters, there exists a close-knit group that tolerates the poaching of predators — and even encourages it.

“A good lynx is a dead lynx”

In addition to the still-active game warden, two former game wardens are in the spotlight. One of the two still works as an auxiliary game warden in the canton. The man is said to have told two nature photographers: they don’t want any lynx — they shoot them. Another former game warden is also opposed to predators in the canton. A local farmer says: “As a game warden, he shot a lynx — and told everyone who would listen.» Even as a private individual, he continues to go out with his rifle, «with the dream of shooting many more large carnivores».

The three individuals are said not to be isolated cases.

As reported by French-speaking Swiss television, a state employee of the cantonal department for hunting, fishing, and wildlife stated that the department long operated under the maxim: «A good lynx is a dead lynx.» The wildlife wardens did not comment to «Blick».

Canton Valais also uses tricks when it comes to herd protection

From June to August 2018, a total of 39 sheep were killed by wolves in the two Lower Valais valleys of Vallon de Réchy and Val d'Anniviers — 30 of them without the required herd protection, and for the remaining nine sheep it was unclear whether they had been outside or inside the fence. This made it clear that the legally required minimum of 15 protected sheep for the culling of a wolf had not been reached.

In order to nevertheless reach the 15 livestock kills required by the federal authorities, the responsible Valais Environment Department under CVP State Councillor Jacques Melly resorted to tricks: it reclassified alpine pastures where herd protection is possible as “non-protectable” pastures. This allowed these kills to be counted toward authorising a wolf cull — a decision supported by the Valais cantonal government.

This emerges from a ruling by the Valais Cantonal Court dated 14 April 2020. It concluded that the authorisation issued by the Canton of Valais on 5 September 2018 for the shooting of a wolf had been “contrary to federal law” and should not have been granted. According to information from the Valais Cantonal Court, the ruling is legally binding, writes infosperber.ch.