Reunion Island: the court condemns the digging up of common tenrecs... and the collusion between the State and hunters
For several years, we have been challenging the hunting of common tenrecs on Reunion Island. Like badgers, thousands of them are victims of digging out every year. Despite the prefecture’s full support to this practice and the usual attempts to circumvent justice, the administrative court of Reunion Island has just ruled in our favor across the board by canceling the two decrees that authorized the killings from February to April 2024. This is a victory for the animals and a severe punishment for the prefect, who had allowed hunters to write his decrees.
Repeated victories and a relentless prefect
Nothing is spared for common tenrecs, these little-known animals belonging to a unique species whose appearance resembles that of hedgehogs. Already victims of intensive poaching, every year nearly 100,000 of them are dug up and killed. And this at a time when there are still many young animals that are dependent on their parents.
In February 2024, we obtained an emergency suspension of the digging, authorized by the prefect from February 17 to April 14. Despite this decision, the authorities had yielded to intense pressure from hunters. A few days later, a new decree was adopted to allow the killing of common tenrecs until April 14… with even more days of digging to compensate for the effect of the previous decision. This was clearly a strategy designed to circumvent the justice system.
We say no to backroom deals between the State and hunters to kill common tenrecs!
We also revealed that the decree and the presentation note intended to provide the public with objective information about common tenrecs had been written not by the prefecture’s departments… but by the director of the departmental hunting federation and her lawyer! This was a case of total and unacceptable collusion, which we had confirmed by a bailiff.
For the second time, the court has ruled that the decrees were illegal. Like underground badger hunting, the blind digging up of common tenrecs directly endangers the young, whose killing is nevertheless prohibited. The judges also sanctioned the prefecture’s multiple instances of negligence in the procedure for adopting the order and formally reminded the prefects that they cannot under any circumstances delegate their duties to the hunters themselves!
In Réunion, as elsewhere, thousands of citizens oppose these archaic methods that cause stress, suffering, and death to animals that only want to live in peace. We will not give in! To put an end to this deadly practice, sign our petition for a radical reform of hunting.