After a poached gray heron, a long-eared owl also died an unnatural death in the hunting area in St. Roman near Schärding (Upper Austria). A Swedish forensic scientist was hired by BirdLife to investigate the case.
Long-eared owls are nocturnal birds of prey that feed mainly on mice and smaller songbirds such as sparrows. In Europe, these animals are protected and their hunting is prohibited.
In the Innviertel municipality of St. Roman near Schärding, a seriously injured long-eared owl was found last weekend in a piece of forest of the village of Kössldorf. The bird may have died immediately afterwards.
broken wings
The owl showed suspiciously broken wings. The carcass was x-rayed on Tuesday and revealed small metal shards in the bird’s body. “Unfortunately, we can’t yet say exactly what caused the bird’s death. In any case, the injuries seem atypical for hail,” says Matthias Schmidt, ornithologist and bird of prey expert at BirdLife. It could conceivably be traces of wear from a bullet.
Schmidt now wants to entrust the expertise to a Swedish forensic scientist. The bird protection organization was informed by the eco-hunting association, which rented out the cooperative hunting in St. Roman.
Third suspect
In late December, eco-hunters caught a fish farmer shooting a protected blue heron from his car. The suspect was charged in court. “This is the third case of possible poaching in St. Roman that we have reported in three years,” said eco-hunting spokesman Johann Hauer.
Source: Krone
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