Horrific animal cruelty on Lake Starnberg: mother duck dies!

Horrific animal cruelty on Lake Starnberg: mother duck dies!

On Wednesday, July 4, 2025, a gruesome incident in Nepomukpark on Lake Starnberg shocked the region. A group of six Munich students witnessed a woman attacking a mother duck with her seven ducklings while she was bathing. The group immediately noticed the affected family and saw the woman throwing stones at the chicks. Tragically, she hit the mother duck in the neck, who was pulled out of the water with serious injuries, but died just a few minutes later.

The students who witnessed the gruesome scene tried to help the injured duck family by pulling the seriously injured mother out of the water. Unfortunately, their help was too late. The affected chicks, around four weeks old, then managed to get to safety. The animal welfare association took care of the search for the orphaned chicks, but soon had to give up because the little ones were simply too fast. Still, there is hope that the chicks can survive on their own, warned aid workers, who say the recent increase in such incidents is worrying.

Social responsibility and the role of the police

The incident has sparked a wave of outrage and police are now looking for witnesses who might know something about the identity of the perpetrator. “We encourage anyone who saw anything to come forward,” said a police spokesman. Animal protection organizations emphasize that such incidents are unfortunately not isolated cases. According to a publication by the German Animal Welfare Office and other organizations, more than 163 cases of animal welfare violations have been uncovered in agriculture alone since 2016.

But how can such incidents be stopped sustainably? Animal lovers and citizens are urged to report any mistreatment immediately. Experts recommend documenting suspicious situations and securing evidence in the form of photos or videos. In acute dangerous situations, the police and veterinary office should be informed directly. It is particularly important to record the exact circumstances and, if necessary, bring in additional witnesses in order to bring about real change. If irregularities in animal husbandry are discovered, it is advisable to first talk to the animal owner before the authorities get involved.

Animal protection in society

The horror news from Starnberg is part of a larger problem in the treatment of animals. Shocking cases of animal cruelty occur again and again and are rarely adequately prosecuted. A study shows that only 15% of identified cases of ill-treatment that were published were actually prosecuted. The motivations for such acts and the difficulty of punishing them remain challenges that society must grapple with.

This incident reminds us how important it is to protect our animals. “It is a shared responsibility to speak for our gentle fellow creatures,” emphasizes a representative of the animal protection association in Starnberg. This makes it all the more important to show mindfulness and to act quickly in the event of suspicious behavior.

The animal protection organizations are ready in this sense and have launched initiatives to raise awareness and educate people. Your appeal is specifically addressed to everyone not to accept mistreatment and to take clear steps to improve the situation - because each of us can make a contribution. For more information about animal protection scandals in Germany, it is worth taking a look at the Ananova website and other local animal protection websites.