A hunter contacted the local police and explained that he might have accidentally hit a wolf during a fox hunt. While in the forest with poor visibility, he fired a shot. However, during a subsequent search that evening and the following day, he found neither the animal nor any traces of blood.

Investigations Continue After Wolf Shooting

According to his own statements, the hunter only learned about the dead wolf from the media. He then reported to the authorities, stating that the predator might have been killed by him. The man is being reported to the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office on suspicion of grossly negligent damage to the animal and plant population. Investigations on the carcass are still ongoing. The dead wolf was taken to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and autopsied there. Additionally, DNA samples were sent to the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. A preliminary result of the pathological examination was expected during the week. The result of the DNA analysis is expected in the next one and a half weeks. When the dead animal was found, there was no active regulatory measure by the black-red state government that would have allowed a wolf to be shot in this area. Last year, 14 such regulations were passed. Two animals were subsequently shot. This year, a wolf was removed in East Tyrol.

(APA/red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.