The Game and Fauna Service reported a serious case of hare poaching early last Sunday morning.
Our wardens were on a mission to fight hare poaching in Kouklia and Timi, Paphos district. Around 4:30 AM, they spotted a vehicle acting suspiciously in the fields of Timi, with gunshots coming from it.
The team quickly moved to stop the vehicle. The driver didn’t initially stop, leading to a chase that ended with the vehicle being stopped around 4:50 AM.
The vehicle had three individuals from the Paphos area, two of whom had previous offenses with our Service. During the inspection, two hunting rifles were found and taken away.
The wardens used their experience to determine that the illegally hunted hares were not in the car. Instead, they were left at spots where they were hunted for later collection.
As daylight broke, a thorough search was done in the area where the suspects’ vehicle had been. In two locations, on trees, two freshly killed hares were found hidden, likely waiting to be picked up. There was also significant damage to nearby crops.
A big concern is that two of the three suspects work for the Forestry Department, and this isn’t their first time in trouble. It’s also troubling that Forestry Department employees are often involved with our Service for various violations of the Law on Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game.
Our Service is worried that some Forestry Department employees may misuse their positions at observation posts and in hard-to-reach areas.
Lastly, it’s important to mention that recently, our members have reported several cases of hunting in banned areas and hunting dogs being used in these zones during hunting days. This aims to drive hares out for hunters waiting at the borders.
