Polish Conservationists' Decision to Shoot Escapee Bison Sparks Outrage Among Hunters
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- 04 Sep 2024
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A recent incident in Poland has sparked outrage among hunters after conservationists shot an escapee bison, named 'Forest', despite efforts by hunters to raise funds to build a fence to contain the animal. The bison, which had been roaming free for 10 months across three provinces, was finally captured in July but escaped again, leading conservationists to make the decision to shoot it.
The hunting community is outraged over the incident, with Robert Bąk, a hunter from the Polish Hunting Association in Tarnobrzeg, calling the act "completely incomprehensible". Bąk noted that hunters had collected 45,000 złotys (€ 10,526) to build a fence for the animal at a refuge farm in Kurozwęki, where the bison had most recently escaped from. He claimed that conservationists were aware of this initiative.
However, Lech Buchholz, a local conservationist from the central city of Kielce, referred to a statement published on the website of the General Directorate of Environmental Protection, which stated that scientists from the State Council for Nature Conservation had made an unequivocal recommendation for the "elimination" of the bison. The statement cited a serious threat to the health and life of the animals and the people monitoring the bison as one of the reasons for their decision.
The conservationists also noted that the bison mating season is currently approaching, which could lead to a rapprochement between the species of Polish and American bisons, posing a serious danger to the local Polish bison. However, Bąk considers this explanation "unconvincing", saying that the animal's movement was "monitored by us all the time".
Bąk also stressed that, according to hunting regulations, only a hunter can legally shoot an animal, and that the conservationists did not follow the proper procedures. He announced that a report would be filed with the prosecutor's office on the possibility of a crime having been committed.
The incident has sparked a heated debate between conservationists and hunters, with both sides presenting different perspectives on the issue. While conservationists argue that the bison posed a threat to the local ecosystem, hunters believe that the animal could have been contained and that the decision to shoot it was unnecessary and unjustified.
