Three people in Portugal were sentenced for killing six wolves in Peneda Gerês National Park. These wolves are part of the protected Iberian wolf species. The court gave them suspended sentences ranging from seven months to two years. They also fined them around €20,000. The case shows the consequences of harming protected animals but also highlights the ongoing issues of wolf conservation in rural areas.
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Killing Iberian Wolves In Peneda-Gerês Case
The Porto District Attorney’s Office published the details of the case. The prosecutors explained how the men set up steel cable traps in Cabril, in the Montalegre area.
The prosecutors said:
The three decided to capture and kill wolves that wandered into the Peneda-Gerês National Park. To do so, they made traps out of steel cables, which they set up in various places in Cabril, in the municipality of Montalegre, Vila Real district, with animal remains to attract the wolves
They used animal remains, like a dead horse’s carcass, to attract the wolves. Six wolves were caught in these traps between February and July 2021. One wolf was still alive when the men found it. They beat it to death. The others had died from asphyxiation or starvation.
They added:
Six wolves were caught in these traps, which the defendants found there on their rounds, one of them still alive, in February 2021, which the defendants beat to death; the others already dead, from asphyxiation or starvation, in April and July 2021
These wolves were part of the Cabril Pack. This pack lived in the central area of the Serra do Gerês, between Terras de Bouro and Montalegre. Experts say the loss of these wolves has put the pack’s survival at risk. It may take a long time for the pack to recover. The court found the crime serious and imposed fines to reflect the damage done.
Legal And Financial Penalties For Crime
Apart from the jail sentences, the court convicted two of the men for a serious environmental offense. One had to pay €4,000, and the other €3,000. One of them was also fined €825 for having a prohibited weapon. These fines show that Portugal takes the protection of its wildlife seriously.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a civil claim against the men. This was done on behalf of the Portuguese state for the environmental damage caused. The court accepted the claim and ordered the men to pay €20,000 for the damage they caused.
This payment aims to cover the environmental harm and the impact on Portugal’s biodiversity. The fines show the justice system’s commitment to holding people accountable for harming protected species.
Cultural Stigmas And Need Better Policies For Wolf Conservation
However, the case also shows deeper problems with wolf conservation in Portugal. Wolves have faced negative beliefs in rural communities for a long time. Wildlife photographer Carlos Pontes, who has spent many years studying wolves in the region, says these old ideas are still common. He thinks these attitudes lead to people attacking wolves.
He said:
Wolves, actually, “avoid human beings to preserve their own lives. (…) An encounter between a wolf and a person never has a negative outcome for the latter. Wolves never attack people. They know it is a losing battle and avoid it at all costs. They don’t even choose to attack humans to protect their young (…) We need more efficient policies for the preservation of the species and faster and less bureaucratic support mechanisms for the damage caused by wolves. Otherwise, we will continue to condemn them to extinction, precisely by human hand
Pontes said wolves avoid humans to protect themselves. He explained that even when protecting their young, wolves do not attack humans. This challenges the belief that wolves are dangerous animals.
Pontes and other experts believe changing these attitudes is crucial. The Cabril Pack’s loss shows how vulnerable wolf populations still are. The Iberian wolf is protected by law in Portugal and Europe. But these laws only work if people follow them and if the government supports conservation.
Pontes says more efficient policies are needed. He believes support should be available quickly for farmers or locals who lose livestock to wolves. Without these measures, conflicts between humans and wolves will continue. This puts the wolves at risk of extinction.
The sentencing of the three men shows the challenges of protecting wolves in Portugal. The legal action shows that the government wants to protect these animals. But more needs to be done to change how wolves are viewed in rural areas.
