A lynx was found dead on the street of the Great St. Bernhard in the municipality of Sembrancher VS. The animal was handed over to the Institute for Animal Pathology at the University of Bern, where the carcass was examined.
Now we know what the lynx died of: It died of multiple fractures. But researchers at the University of Bern also found metal splinters in his body, which most likely came from a fragmented rifle bullet. That means: Somebody shot the lynx in all likelihood.
Even if the animal did not die as a result, the Department for Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife of the Canton of Valais (DJFW) files charges against unknown persons with the public prosecutor’s office. Because the lynx is a strictly protected species whose poaching is an offense and is officially prosecuted.
The responsible authorities of the canton of Valais strongly condemn poaching in a press release. “The DJFW, as well as the Department for Security, Institutions and Sport (DSIS) reiterate their strong condemnation of all poaching and their active fight against it,” it says. “Every suspicion of poaching that is brought to the attention of the DJFW is analyzed and, if there is a well-founded suspicion, forwarded to the responsible authorities.”
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