Reintroduction

Northern Bald Ibis Puck shot down by hunter in Italy

Northern Bald Ibis Puck - hatched in Kuchl, shot down in Italy(Bild: Waldrappteam)

The reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis in Europe has been a success, but poaching remains a major threat to the rare migratory birds. For Puck the Northern Bald Ibis from the Salzburg colony, the flight south came to a tragic end: he was shot down by an Italian hunter at the end of November.

Puck was part of the Salzburg Northern Bald Ibis colony. He hatched in Kuchl in 2021 and learned the flight route to Italy from his conspecifics. Tragically, he was shot down during a stopover in the Apennines. Because it was equipped with a transmitter, the exact location could be determined immediately and the hunter tracked down. 

Puck case now to go to court
The hunter is a member of an Italian hunting association. A house search was carried out, where the weapon was confiscated and the hunter's license was revoked. 

Roberta Peroni, member of the European LIFE project, commented: "The hunter is charged with killing an individual of a protected species and causing significant harm to an endangered population. We hope for a verdict that reflects the seriousness of this crime. We will also file a civil lawsuit and claim damages for the conservation project."

Years of struggle against poaching
Johannes Fritz from the Northern Bald Ibis team says: "We have been fighting against poaching of Northern Bald Ibises for over 20 years." Puck's tragic fate shows that innovative technologies help to identify perpetrators as quickly as possible.