One Voice files a complaint for Koukou, a horse who died following an administrative beat hunt
On the night of November 5 to 6, a lieutenant of louveterie and pests carried out an administrative wild boar beat hunt just a stone’s throw from the Maisons-Laffitte racehorse training center. Close to the houses, the shots frightened the residents, but not only… The next day, the horse Koukou was found dead, leaving Quenelle, the mare in his company, traumatized. We are lodging a complaint and calling for the suspension of the prefectoral decree which led to this tragedy.
It was past 11pm when violent detonations were heard outside the home of a resident of Maison-Laffitte, in the Yvelines region. The woman – source of our partner Futur Asso, who informed us of the events – rushed outside in the dark to try and understand what was happening. Not far away, she clearly heard Koukou and Quenelle, her two horses, restless in their paddock, suffering from the same anguish. That’s when she spotted figures brandishing flashlights in the shadows, obviously on the lookout for something. They then climbed into a vehicle, not caring that the area was reserved for pedestrians, bicycles and horse riders. When they reached her, they got out. One of them was wearing a uniform indicating that he belonged to the “hunting police”. A sign of authority that should reassure, and yet… Torn between fear and anger, the whistle-blower called out to the lieutenant of louveterie and pests and those accompanying him. But all she received in response to her legitimate arguments and concerns about the use of weapons in the middle of the night, just a few yards from homes and a racecourse, was a contemptuous reply: “I do what I want, I have authorization from the prefecture”. Shocked, the local resident could only receive confirmation from the municipal police that the operation was indeed authorized, and that it was “surprising” that she had not been informed…
A dead horse, a traumatized mare
The next morning, when she went to feed her two companions, she was horrified to discover Koukou’s lifeless body. At 26 years old, Koukou led a peaceful existence in a meadow, enjoying excellent health. Just the day before, he was in great shape… until the lieutenant of louveterie and pests arrived. Upset by his sudden death, the woman didn’t have the courage to face the additional ordeal of requesting an autopsy. Yet all the evidence suggests that it was the intense stress of the night that killed him!
This shock did not spare Quenelle, who was at his side when he died, struck down. Since then, the mare has started showing signs of piroplasmosis. According to the vet, the disease, which she had probably been carrying for years, may have been reawakened by the stress caused by the event.
When the guns are out, no one is safe
This isn’t the first time a horse has died at the hands of armed men. In December 2023, Memphis was shot and killed, adding his name to the long list of collateral victims of this hobby whose enthusiasts don’t give a damn. To the blood they spill, the terror they impose, the suffering they inflict, they add denial, threats and arrogance.
In support of Koukou’s family, we are lodging a complaint and writing to the prefecture to ask it not to renew the mandate of the lieutenant of louveterie and pests involved in this administrative beat hunt, which is fatal for the wild boars targeted and dangerous for all humans and domestic animals in the vicinity. Sign our petition for a radical reform of hunting to put an end to these tragedies!