The first wild bison to be spotted in Germany for 250 years has been shot dead – just the next day after it was spotted close to a river.
A passerby saw the European bison while it was grazing near the river Oder, next to the eastern German town of Lebus, which is on the border with Poland.
However, the following day, an official decided that the protected animal was a danger to the public and ordered some hunters to shoot it.
The World Wildlife Fund filed charges against the official, who is head of a public order office in Brandenburg and has warned that it's a ‘criminal offense’ to allow to shoot a ‘strongly protected animal’ if it isn't presenting a ‘clear potential threat.'
According to Chris Heinrich, a WWF board member:
"After more than 250 years a wild bison had been spotted again in Germany, and all the authorities could think to do is shoot it."
One day after the authorities were made aware of the bison’s presence, the head of the local public order office decided that the animal had to be killed, so that local population is protected. Then, two local hunters were instructed to shoot it.
Polish officials claim the bison was possibly a bull seen running around the area of the Ujście Warty National Park on the German and the Polish border.
They thought the animal then managed to find its way to Germany, which made it the first one spotted in the wild in 250 years.
European bison aren't known to be dangerous, and hundreds roam in the wild in neighboring Poland.
According to Brandenburg’s Environment Ministry, a tranquilizer dart administered by a vet could've been used to avoid any danger to the residents.
European Bison Coming Back to Forests in Germany by besartkurteshi
References: DailyMail, Mystical Raven
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