Deutschland – 28. 05. 2026

Crackdown on raptor persecution in Germany

28.05.2026

The illegal persecution of birds of prey is still one of the biggest wildlife conservation problems in Germany. In most cases, the perpetrators are trying to protect chickens, pigeons, and pheasants. Committee members once again carried out inspections in nine federal states this year. Based on our information, the police identified 3 suspects using raptor traps. At the same time, our reporting center processed more than 100 suspected cases. In 20 of these cases, the suspicion was confirmed. These involved 7 cases of trapping protected species, 6 shootings, 3 poisonings, and 4 other methods of persecution. At least 17 birds were demonstrably injured or killed. Several animals with suspected poisoning are still under investigation, and we continue to monitor a whole series of trap locations where the capture devices are currently inactive.