In the debate about the foxes that hunted chickens in Uffing in broad daylight, an animal rights activist now speaks up.
She believes that poultry farmers have a duty to house their animals so that they are safe from predators.
Uffing
- It has calmed down in Uffing - at least in terms of foxes.
"At the moment things have relaxed," says chicken keeper Reinhold Dinges.
A fox walked into a live trap set by a hunter.
She snapped.
According to Tagblatt information, the predator was shot.
We will see how the foxes, who went hunting chickens in broad daylight in Uffing, continue in the new year.
Verena Wendt, who runs a hedgehog sanctuary in Weilheim, is critical of the way animals are treated in the Staffelsee community.
"The fox is made a scapegoat for its own failure." Regarding the fact that animals are to be captured and resettled, she says: "We first thought of a bad April Fool's joke in December."
Wildlife camera and electric fence
Wendt thinks it's a homegrown problem.
"Poultry farmers are to blame if the fox fetches chickens if they don't fence them in safely."
If a fence is so low that not only foxes can jump over it, but also chickens can fly over it, that is "doubly animal welfare incompatible," emphasizes Wendt.
Dinges rejects the accusation that he would not keep his chickens in accordance with animal welfare - this was also expressed in a letter to the editor.
He also says: "If you want to make it 100 percent fox-proof, you would need a fence of at least two meters plus an overhang of half a meter to the outside." He doesn't know anyone "who has something like that".
Dinges installed an electric fence as an immediate measure.
"That works.
What Wendt also underlines: “No one is allowed to capture and resettle wild animals.
Anyone who does this is acting illegally, because they are violating nature and animal protection laws.
I will report anyone who does this to the public prosecutor and apply for criminal prosecution.” Wendt refers to the Federal Nature Conservation Act.
District Office's position
The district office sees it this way: "Certain species of wild animals may be caught with traps and resettled." According to the Bavarian Hunting Act, hunting game with fishing gear and catching devices is strictly prohibited.
However, this does not apply to predatory game (fox, badger, stone marten and so on).
In addition, the regulations that regulate the minimum requirements of the traps used would have to be observed.
"For the release/relocation, you need a permit from the person authorized to hunt in the area where the fox is to be released," adds Scharf.
If an animal is captured within a settlement and released outside of it by a hunter who has a license for hunting operations in the pacified district, there is no violation of a hunting regulation if certain conditions are met.
By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular GAP newsletter.
Wendt is reluctant to relocate foxes.
"Because a suitable habitat would have to be found that is not yet occupied." The predator may be driven out in a new territory, does not know where food is, has no burrow.
According to Wendt, a relocation requires a technically sound concept.
Reineke is said to have been fed in Uffing.
Wendt does not see this negatively, on the contrary.
You know chicken farmers who specifically feed foxes.
"They have no losses." Incidentally, Wendt recently founded an initiative with like-minded people.
It is called "Citizens for the fox in the Oberland".
So far there are seven competitors.
Wendt is spokeswoman for the new alliance.
Also interesting:
Up close and personal with the fox
