On behalf of the municipalities, hunters hunted gray geese at Lake Tegernsee.
The mayor of Rottach now rejects allegations from animal rights activists.
Rottach-Egern
- In order to decimate the growing gray goose flock,
Rottach's
mayor Christian Köck (CSU), in line with his colleagues in the neighboring towns and the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, commissioned two hunters.
17 geese were shot, to the indignation of Johanna Ecker-Schotte, chairwoman of the Tegernseer Tal animal protection association.
Köck rejects her allegations that they simply ordered the shooting instead of scaring the animals off with other methods.
"We are not unscrupulous animal killers," he makes clear.
The geese were hunted properly.
"The animals have not suffered." The reason that this happened exceptionally during the closed season is due to the fact that the hunters had to wait until the geese had gathered in a place where they could be safely shot without putting people in danger. reports Köck.
That is why the deadline for the shooting has been extended.
Now the gray goose hunt is over for the time being.
"The time of mating and rearing begins."
Geese shot at Tegernsee: The use of falcons was also under discussion
The experts have examined alternatives to shooting, explains Köck.
"The use of birds of prey, especially falcons, has been considered," reports the mayor.
But they not only have an appetite for young geese, they also hunt species that need protection.
Because one does not want to endanger rare specimens, the suggestion to pierce goose eggs in the clutch was rejected.
Because to do this, people would have to roam through breeding areas that they should definitely stay away from, says Köck.
Ecker-Schotte knew about these considerations.
The mayors invited the animal rights activist to a goose service meeting in July 2020.
However, Köck admits that Ecker-Schotte did not agree to the shooting.
Shot down at Tegernsee: Mayor defends himself - gray geese are "game that can be hunted"
What annoys him is Ecker-Schottes' statement that the geese are not wild animals, but the offspring of abandoned domestic geese.
“This is game that can be hunted,” emphasizes Köck.
“We don't shoot pets.” It is true, however, that a few years ago about ten geese were released from private keeping on the lakeshore.
These would then have paired with wild animals.
Because the food supply is plentiful, the geese did not move on, but instead made their home at the lake.
Gray geese hunted at Tegernsee: excrement makes bathing beaches dirty
In 2020 the population had grown to 60 geese, before the shooting action 80 were counted.
This means that the population is roughly as large as last year.
When the closed season ends on August 1st, the goose will be targeted again.
However, Köck knows that hunting is hardly possible during the bathing season: “We have to wait until everything is quiet at the lake.” However, it will also be necessary in future to regulate the population in order to keep the pollution of the beaches by goose droppings within tolerable limits : “I think a lot of people are grateful for that.” After all, nobody wants to put their towel in the goose droppings.
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