*WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT*

Our organization has received a very disturbing video, where a person is seen brutally killing a fox by hitting it with a stone. The fox was not dead in the first blow and was still alive when it was hit again.

After receiving the information, our organization has reported the case to the Kosovo Police and the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Peja, for mistreatment of animals according to Article 346 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.

The Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Peja, together with the Police, has immediately started investigations regarding this case, and is in the process of compiling the indictment according to the legal provisions in force.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case where wild animals are cruelly killed. The killing of wild animals unfortunately remains a significant concern, considering that even legal hunting does not have strict control of compliance with animal welfare standards and legal provisions in Kosovo for the hunting season.

While we still have such people who kill animals in barbaric ways, the state of Kosovo (the the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planing and Infrastructure and t still has a lot of work to do to start with essential education of citizens about animal welfare and rights as well as environmental and biodiversity conservation.

We thank the Basic Prosecutor’s Office and the Police in Peja for the quick response and we expect the fox killer to receive the deserved punishment according to the legislation in force!