Birds of prey in Bavaria: Illegally poisoned - perpetrator still unknown!

Birds of prey in Bavaria: Illegally poisoned - perpetrator still unknown!

There's a lot going on in the Bavarian forests: Six months after the frightening incident in which a strictly protected bird of prey was poisoned with the advertised poison carbofuran, the investigations are still without any notable successes. So reported BR that the perpetrator has not yet been traced, even though killing birds of prey is a crime that can be punished with up to five years in prison.

Carbofuran is considered particularly dangerous and has been banned in the EU since 2008. The method by which the bird absorbed the poisonous substances is as perfidious as it is shocking: it was lured into the forest using a bait prepared with the poison. Nicole Meier from the State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation (LBV) reported a total of 34 animals that were suspected of being poisoned. This suspicion was confirmed in 14 cases. Two poison baits have already been found, while the toxicological results for another four cases are still pending.

A sad statistic

Last year, 13 poisoned birds of prey and one poisoned pigeon were detected in Bavaria. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as experts believe that only around five percent of killings are actually discovered. “There is a high number of unreported cases,” says Bettina Schröfl from the LBV Straubing-Bogen district group. They suspect that the perpetrators often secretly take the dead birds away before they can be secured.

• Vergiftete Greifvögel 2024: 13
• Vergiftete Taube 2024: 1
• Bestätigte Vergiftungsfälle heuer: 14 von 34 Verdachtsfällen

The “Tatort Natur” project, which documents the cases of illegal killing of birds of prey in Bavaria, shows once again that the problem is widespread. In addition to poisoning, illegal traps and the shooting of birds of prey also occur. Reports show that red kites, buzzards and falcons are particularly affected. The methods are often disgusting: occasionally live pigeons are even baited with poison in order to attract and kill the birds of prey. Information about this was also obtained through research by weed revealed, which will be carried out between December 2024 and July 2025 to assist the police in their investigations.

The search for the perpetrators

Despite all the efforts of the police and public prosecutor's office, no one has been held accountable so far. This is not only due to the remote crime scenes, where there are rarely any clues from witnesses, but also because the suspects seem to be well informed. There is currently no suspect in the case of the red kite from Wallkofen. Nature conservation organizations and the police suspect that hunters or racing pigeon breeders may have a motive to eliminate hunting competitors or to protect their pet pigeons. These machinations not only endanger the survival of birds of prey, but also pose a threat to the entire biodiversity in Bavaria.

The protection of birds of prey in Bavaria is an important concern for nature conservation. Further information on the issue and current developments will continue to be monitored to put a stop to these illegal practices.