Recreational Hunting Basel-Landschaft: Hunting Dogs Chase Wild Boar

Olivier Bieli and his team from Hunt Watch were peacefully present in a nature reserve in Muttenz.

Suddenly they became witnesses to evidence of the sadistic cruelty of hobby hunting in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.

From min. 04:20 you can see that this is still a young wild boar, which is chased, bitten (repeatedly also in the face) and injured for over 8 minutes, forced to endure mortal fear and suffering throughout — documented by Olivier Bieli of Hunt Watch as a reprehensible act of hunting.

The hobby hunters and beaters do not intervene for an extended period of time. One of them even considers it more important — while the wild animal is still being tormented — to approach a Hunt Watch member and take a close-up photograph. The hobby hunters take great pleasure in watching their dogs bite and thus wildlife torment. Whether fox, roe deer or others — this is exactly how it goes with hunting dogs.

The hobby hunters reacted in their usual manner with harassment, threats and defamation towards Hunt Watch, when they were observed near a residential area, as in this case.

Criminal complaint warranted

The hobby hunters massively neglected their duties by failing to intervene and allowing the dogs to act freely during the attack. Because the sadistic hobby hunters stood by and did nothing while the scenes — which must clearly be regarded as a death struggle — unfolded, they also violated the principle of fair chase enshrined in the Hunting Act.

Violations of the Animal Welfare Act and of the principle of fair chase are equally under consideration, as are administrative offences.

The courts are repeatedly required to deal with comparable cases. The number of unreported comparable offences that go unpunished by the justice system is likely to be high.

The Geneva model as a blueprint

It is absurd that there are still people who claim: "The hunters I know personally practice their craft with great respect for the animal and with a strong sense of responsibility."

We commend the Canton of Geneva for its professional wildlife management without hobby hunters, but with upstanding game wardens. In Geneva, foxes, martens, badgers, etc. are not regulated simply because it is hunting season and misguided individuals wish to pursue a hobby. This is also reflected in the federal hunting statistics. Typically Swiss values such as safety, animal protection and ethics are the guiding principle in Geneva. Geneva's game wardens do not, for example, conduct driven hunts, nor are they reliant on the assistance of abnormally bred hunting dogs . The Canton of Geneva also has no elevated hides that blight the landscape.

The IG Wild beim Wild demands that the responsible hobby hunters in Muttenz be appropriately punished, that their hunting licences be revoked, and that recreational hunting be banned as swiftly as possible.

Update 16.12.2024