Sülzetal (dpa/sa) - The state hunting association in Saxony-Anhalt expresses concern about the populations of some wild animal species. "We are observing a dramatic decline in large ruminant game species such as red deer, fallow deer and mouflon in many areas," said Carsten Scholz, president of the association, on Tuesday. The latter in particular is on the verge of "complete extinction". But smaller species such as partridges, hares and wild rabbits are also becoming increasingly rare.
According to the hunting association, individual animal species are exposed to many life-threatening factors at the same time. In addition to climate change, intensive agriculture and the decline in structures in the landscape, the increase in predators, for example, is causing problems for hares and partridges. These should be allowed to be hunted again.
"Wild ecological research in Saxony-Anhalt" urgently needs to be expanded, said a spokesman for the association. The aim must be a holistic view of the wild populations and not a focus on individual species. It cannot be that deer are defamed as vermin and hunted intensively in order to save costs for protective fences, while kilometers of fences are built for wolves. Wild ecological spatial planning can designate large territories for wild animals in which their interests are given preferential consideration. In other areas, one may need to intervene to avoid conflicts with grazers or forest owners.
