*WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Cruel killings of wild animals continue to go unpunished!
Hunting season is currently open in Kosovo. Although the legal provisions in force provide for the types of animals that are allowed to be killed, as well as the standards and rules for killing these animals, these legal requirements are minimally respected or not respected at all.
Unfortunately, in Kosovo, killing of wolves is allowed without any deep scientific analysis of the wolf species in our country.
Our organization often comes across photos and videos posted by the suspects themselves, where cruel killings of wild animals can be seen.
One of these scenes can be seen in the image below, where a wolf is brutally killed by hunters’ dogs after being ambushed.
In addition, the same person also posts other videos, where wolf cubs are seen separated from their mother and being held in captivity. According to the laws in force, it is forbidden to abuse animals during hunting, and it is also forbidden to catch or keep young wild animals without special permission from the competent authorities.
Unfortunately, such cases in Kosovo are not isolated cases, but rather frequent cases where people kill and capture wild animals.
The lack of hunting control (whether legal or illegal) poses a risk to the ecosystem and wild animals in our country, risking the extinction of rare animal species as there is no detailed report on the number of animals and their types and their management. Management plans for hunting grounds are plans in the interests of hunters for the cultivation of wild animals so that they can then be killed by them.
The country’s institutions must work seriously to increase the capacities for strict control of hunting, as well as the advancement of legislation for more comprehensive protection of flora and fauna in our country.
Our organization has already addressed the law enforcement bodies for the case in question, and we expect that the suspect in this case will be found and punished according to the laws in force.
If you see abuse of wildlife by hunters or anyone else, report it to us at info@animalrights-rks.org or on our Facebook or Instagram page. All reports will remain anonymous.