There is more and more poaching in Germany and Austria; often because of the money. A cooperation between animal protection and the authorities of both countries is now taking action against this.
According to the Austrian wildlife crime report, around 200 wild birds fell victim to illegal persecution in the Alpine republic between 2016 and 2022. 16 strictly protected mammals, including wolves, lynxes, beavers, and otters. Only 13 perpetrators were convicted. There were also 263 cases of game poaching, i.e. the hunting of game such as deer, roe deer, or wild boar - animals that can be hunted if you have a hunting license and a territory or permission. Various types of traps, some of which contain live bait, are used primarily to track birds of prey. Poaching is one of the most common causes of death and represents a massive problem for species protection, says the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). According to WWF, 2,238irds of prey were killed in Germany from 2005 to 2021, and only seven percent of these cases were resolved.