A total of 26 wolves have been illegally killed in Brandenburg since 2010. This emerges from a response from the Potsdam Ministry of the Environment to a “small question” by Left MP Anke Schwarzenberg, which was published by the state parliament on Monday. A total of 267 wolves have been found dead in the country over the past 12 years. By far the largest part of them, namely 201 animals, died in road traffic. In 28 cases the animals died of natural causes, in the remaining cases the cause of death was unclear or has not yet been determined.
According to the answer, hunters who shoot a wolf in the country do not have to expect particularly harsh penalties: the responsible public prosecutor’s office initiates investigations for every illegally killed wolf. So far, however, possible perpetrators have only been identified in four cases. One of these four proceedings was discontinued due to a lack of sufficient suspicion, in two other cases the proceedings were discontinued after payment of a fine.
Only one case was charged
Only in one case was there an indictment before the district court. However, the accused was acquitted at first instance. An appeal process is still ongoing. Theoretically, a prison sentence of up to five years can be imposed for the intentional, illegal killing of a wolf under Section 71 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act.
The questioner Schwarzenberg spoke to this newspaper in favor of better statistical recording of illegal wolf killings and more consistent action by the authorities. “Right now, the wolf is a strictly protected species that is under endangered species protection,” Schwarzenberg said. It is true that there are major problems for grazing due to the increase in wolf populations. “But these issues need to be regulated in a legal way,” Schwarzenberg said. To do this, the federal government urgently needs to determine the conservation status of the species so that it can be clarified whether the wolf needs to be hunted. “But vigilante justice never helps us and is the wrong way here too.”
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