The trail of reports of poaching acts continues, which fortunately almost never go unpunished and these criminals are brought to justice.
The latest case occurred on 27 September in Calabria, in the pine forests of Motta San Giovanni (RC); three poachers from Reggio Calabria were reported for the killing of particularly protected species.
The operation took place in the wooded area on the border between the municipalities of Motta San Giovanni and Montebello Ionico with the collaboration between the Anti-poaching Unit of the State Forestry Corps of Reggio Calabria and the volunteers of the Anti-poaching sector of Lipu-BirdLife Italy.
The events involved three poachers from Reggio and the same Lipu volunteers who were in the area to carry out anti-poaching surveillance. The three poachers were caught shooting at migratory hawks, flying right over the pine forests of the area; once killed the hawks were even recovered by a child under 13 who then transported the animals in a plastic bag.
Realizing that they had been discovered, the poachers got into their car and started chasing the group of volunteers; in this circumstance, one of the three poachers showed the volunteers a badge of the Penitentiary Police and ordered them to show them the photos that possibly portrayed him in the act of committing the crime. In the meantime, another group of volunteers had already contacted the State Forestry Corps communicating the license plate and the model of the car on which the criminals were traveling.
In no time the men of the Anti-poaching Unit and the Station Command of the State Forestry Corps of Reggio Calabria took steps to block the exit roads from the area that the poachers could have taken to escape and in fact shortly after the reported car was intercepted with both the three adults and the minor on board who, however, had already disposed of the wild felled.
Shortly after, however, in the same area where the poachers were initially identified, the bag containing the remains of four hawks already slaughtered on the spot was found, presumably with the intention of recovering them at night. The species of birds of prey has also been recognized thanks to the discovery in the immediate vicinity of parts of the body of the birds; in addition, a further body belonging to a female marsh harrier was found that the three offenders had not yet had time to slaughter.
The three Reggio poachers have been reported on the loose for killing particularly protected species and their three hunting rifles with related ammunition were seized by the men of the Forestry Guard; Furthermore, the hunting licenses of the three arrested subjects will be subject to suspension or even worse to revocation of the same.
Apparently the sentence to poaching and the marginalization of these criminals by the people of true and honest Italian hunters is not enough to put an end to the succession of these criminal acts that can only increase the contempt for those who in turn despise the true value of hunting in Italy.