2023-08-11 06:31:19
Haringsee owl and bird of prey sanctuary has to take care of injured animals once more and once more
Crow traps are rightly banned almost everywhere in Europe, as they are a so-called non-selective type of trap – this means that animals other than crows also fall into the trap. Time and once more we get injured and highly stressed animals from dedicated walkers who have become victims of such traps.
dr Hans Frey, Head of the Haringsee Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary run by FOUR PAWS
Vienna (OTS) – All district administrative authorities in Lower Austria, with the exception of St. Pölten and Krems, have issued ordinances that allow crow traps to be set up. These are cages in which jays, magpies and crows are caught and then killed. However, not only crows end up in the trap, but also owls and birds of prey – many of them protected species. The Haringsee owl and bird of prey sanctuary run by FOUR PAWS has to keep taking in animals that have been injured in such traps. Your director, Dr. Hans Frey, sharply criticizes crow traps; In his view, they constitute a violation of applicable nature and animal protection laws.
„Crow traps are rightly banned almost everywhere in Europe, as they are a so-called non-selective type of trap – this means that animals other than crows also fall into the trap. Time and once more we get injured and highly stressed animals from dedicated walkers who have become victims of such traps.
Only with us do they pass as selective, because the hunters should release all animals that were wrongfully caught,” says Frey. This “overlooks” that according to EU law, the trap itself must be selective, so that protected species are not caught in the first place.
According to Frey, birds that have been injured in the trap or whose plumage has been severely damaged have little chance of surviving once released. Another problem: It is stipulated that the crow traps must be checked once a day. Birds trapped during the breeding season can therefore be trapped for up to 24 hours. Their clutches or small young animals often do not survive the long absence of a parent.
From April to June, the traps actually have to be dismantled or deactivated. However, this does not cover the entire breeding season. Sparrowhawks and hawks, for example, often look following young animals as late as July.
The use of decoys is illegal
In March of this year, the Urfahr-Umwelt district authority imposed a fine on a hunter under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act because he kept live carrion crows in a crow trap as decoys. In fact, the law forbids inflicting unjustified suffering on an animal or inflicting severe anxiety on it; this, according to the authority, “also applies to the keeping of animals that are used to support hunting.”
An important judgment for Hans Frey. However, it is very difficult to check whether decoys are actually being used. “Theoretically, hunters must tell the authorities where all traps are set up. But whether this is actually done and then actually checked is more than questionable,” says Dr. Frey. This illegal use is particularly evident when decoys have their flight feathers cut – which is particularly cruel. Frey: “We were repeatedly brought decoys treated in this way by outraged walkers.”
Hunting Crows: Cruel, senseless and legally questionable
Although jays, magpies and crows are protected as songbirds by the European Birds Protection Directive, exemptions for killing them are repeatedly granted in Austria. The reason given for this cruelty is alleged damage caused by the intelligent birds.
“The decline in many animal species, such as the partridge, the pheasant or the hare, can be explained by the change in habitats, the loss of suitable food sources and the large-scale use of poisons and not by the presence of predators such as crows,” explains Hans Frey. In addition, killing the animals is pointless: the shooting of local crows prevents the natural regulatory mechanism through intraspecific competition and thus promotes the influx of groups of young birds that are still not territorial. This increases the number of corvids in a territory.
“The unnecessary killing of animals is clearly forbidden in the Austrian Animal Welfare Act. For these reasons, as well as for ethical reasons, every other animal-friendly option to avoid unacceptable damage from corvids must be taken. This can be deterrence, covering silo bales and adjusting the sowing time,” says Frey.
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organization for animals under direct human influence, recognizing grievances, rescuing and protecting animals in distress. Founded in 1988 by Heli Dungler and friends in Vienna, the organization advocates for a world in which people treat animals with respect, compassion and understanding. Their sustainable campaigns and projects focus on stray dogs and cats as well as domestic, farm and wild animals such as bears, big cats and orangutans
inappropriate keeping as well as from disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Great Britain, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the USA and Vietnam, as well as sanctuaries for animals in need in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.vier-pfoten.at
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