Elderly French Bear Hunter Faces Consequences For Shooting Protected Wild Boar
- ~ 2 Min Read
Grizzly bear slayer sentenced following self-protection claim shooting incident - Man found guilty for shooting attacking bear in fear
An 81-year-old French hunter has been slapped with a four-month suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine for shooting a protected wild boar, or sow named Caramelles. Alongside the elderly man, his 15 fellow hunters were fined and had their hunting licenses revoked by the Foix court. They must collectively pay 60,000 euros to animal and environmental organizations active within the case as civil parties.
The elderly hunter claimed during the trial that he resorted to shooting the sow in self-defense. Describing the incident, he stated that he initially discovered her two cubs, and the approximately 150 kg sow attacked him in response. He was left severely injured.
"She grabbed me by the left thigh, I panicked and fired a shot from my rifle. She retreated and growled, she went around me and bit my right calf, I fell, she bit my leg, I cocked my rifle and shot. She died five meters away," said the hunter.
Animal Welfare Organizations as Civil Parties
Despite the defendant's claims, the court found him guilty of killing a protected animal and neglecting hunting regulations. The wild boar hunters had invaded a protected area near Mont-Valier in the Pyrenees in November 2021. The sow was located about 400 meters outside the designated hunting area.
One of the hunters attempted to defend their actions during the trial, alleging the marking of the hunting area was poorly visible. However, the prosecutor Olivier Mouysset argued, "It is their duty to know exactly where hunting is allowed."
Several animal welfare organizations participated as civil parties in the case. Julie Rover, their lawyer, elucidated, "They are not fundamentally against hunting, but they want the rules to be respected so that the environment is not damaged."
France's Evolution of Brown Bears
Brown bears were on the brink of extinction in the French Pyrenees in the early 90s. The current thriving population has been reintroduced from Slovenia. The number of these bears is steadily increasing, with 96 bears identified in 2024 and an estimated total population of up to 127 bears.
While this is promising, the biodiversity agency warns that this doesn't guarantee the long-term survival of the group. Inbreeding among bears jeopardizes their genetic diversity, and animal protectors advocate for the introduction of more bears to strengthen genetic variation.
This has raised concerns amongst livestock farmers who regularly report attacks by bears on their herds. Last year, 310 attacks by bears on cattle, sheep, and goats were documented, a decrease of 39 attacks from the previous year.
Despite increased bear populations and occasional conflicts with livestock, hunting protected animals like brown bears in France remains illegal, thanks to European Union directives and French legislation. Violators risk severe penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and the revocation of hunting licenses.
- The encounter between the French hunter and the protected wild boar, known as Caramelles, was controversially terminated with a shot, leading to the hunter's guilty verdict and suspension of hunting licenses.
- The case involving the hunters' actions in a protected area, where they shot a wild boar, features animal welfare organizations as civil parties, advocating for the respect of hunting regulations to preserve the environment.
- Ironically, while France's population of brown bears has recovered and is increasing, limited genetic variation due to inbreeding poses a threat to their long-term survival.
- Despite the growing brown bear population and occasional conflicts with livestock, hunting these protected animals in France is strictly prohibited, with severe penalties, including imprisonment and revocation of licenses, imposed for violators.
