Cantal: a wolf shot dead, the State falling short. We demand justice!
On 4 February, a wolf was illegally shot dead in Cantal. The shooter claims there was ‘confusion’ with a fox. And already in the press, it is announced that the case could end with a simple reminder of the law. We refuse to accept this trivialisation. We are lodging a request so that the death of this wolf does not go unnoticed and so that the law ceases to be an empty promise.
The fable of a ‘mistake’
According to statements reported by the newspaper La Montagne, the hunter believed he was targeting a fox before discovering that it was a wolf. This justification raises serious concerns. The difference in size, morphology and appearance is obvious…
Certain identification is a basic and non-negotiable principle of hunting. Shooting without certainty is, at the very least, gross negligence… and a very worrying fact for the safety of humans as well.
Claiming ‘mistake’ is not enough to erase the facts. A protected animal was killed. Its death is very real. Behind the word ‘confusion’ lies an irreversible shooting and a sentient being who, once again, pays the price for laxity.
A protected species… really?
Unlike foxes, wolves are protected under French and European law because they were eradicated in the past. Killing them is prohibited in principle, except in regulated cases. On paper, the legal framework is clear.
However, today we are talking about a simple reminder of the law for an act that amounts to poaching. This perspective sends a disastrous signal. Can we seriously claim that a species is protected if the illegal killing of an individual results in such a lenient measure?
Every wolf counts. To trivialise the death of this wolf is to foster a sense of impunity and to undermine the credibility of the rule of law in environmental matters.
Faced with this situation, we refuse to remain silent and are lodging a request. The law must be enforced seriously, especially when it comes to protecting living beings. We demand that the circumstances surrounding this shooting be fully investigated and that appropriate legal action be taken.
The credibility of nature conservation policies is at stake. So is the respect due to a species that has simply reclaimed part of its natural territory.
Join us in demanding an end to these massacres by signing our petition.
Stop the persecution of wolves!
Cantal: a wolf shot dead, the State falling short. We demand justice!
A wolf killed ‘by mistake’ in Cantal: One Voice lodges a request and demands justice.