A shooting accident occurred on Saturday as part of the protection of herds against wolves. An agent sworn to carry out sampling shots authorized by the prefecture accidentally shot a dog, mistaking it for a predator.
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The dog died on the morning of Sunday, November 10, from his injuries. The accident occurred on Saturday around 7 p.m. A Louveterie lieutenant accidentally shot the animal, as part of a simple defense shooting authorization for the protection of herds against wolf predation, announced the Hautes-Alpes prefecture in a press release, without specify where these facts occurred.
An administrative investigation has been opened, specifies the prefecture. The owner of the dog will soon be interviewed in order to clarify the circumstances of this shooting, she adds.
The Louveterie lieutenant, who immediately notified his hierarchical authority, was suspended from his duties, pending the results of the investigation.
The prefect expresses his regrets, but reaffirms his confidence in these voluntary private agents.in the current context of predation that our department is experiencing” and “the importance of their missions to breeders”.
The mandate of the current lieutenants expires on December 31 and a call for applications for 25 positions was launched in September for the period 2025-2030.
Louveterie lieutenants, placed under the authority of the prefect, are appointed for five years. Their role is to contribute to the regulation and destruction of animals, wolves or wild boars for example, which can cause damage to herds of domestic animals. In France, 204 wolves were killed in 2023. The lupine population was estimated at around 1,000 individuals by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), an estimate which defines the maximum number of wolves that can be taken as part of the defense of herds. The slaughter quota of the 2024-2029 wolf plan remained set at 19% of the recorded population.
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