Poison on the calf carcass in Bruvno (photo: Biom)

On Friday afternoon, Gračac criminal police received a report of an attempted wild animal poisoning in the Mazin area. The poison used is in the form of blue crystals, most likely a pesticide based on carbofuran, which has been completely banned in Croatia since 2016.

“This is a highly poisonous substance that can poison the entire Mazin, Bruvno, and Gračac areas with just a small amount. Illegal poisoning is a very dangerous practice with a lasting impact on nature and the environment. Not only is it an inefficient way to resolve conflicts with predators such as wolves, but it also poses a risk to people, pets, hunting dogs, as well as highly protected birds of prey – griffon vultures, eagles, and falcons. The horror of carbofuran must be put to an end, and a humane approach to cattle safety must be sought,” says Boleslaw Slocinski, leader of the Safe Flyways project in Biom.

Poison on the calf carcass in Bruvno (photo: Biom)

Bait was found fresh which prevented a larger number of casualties. “Fast reaction – reporting to the police and securing the scene is crucial in preventing mass poisoning of wild animals and the correct processing of the criminal charges. It’s specially sad that the time of Christmas holidays is used to commit these dangerous crimes against nature,” says Slocinski.

We invite all citizens to report every suspected case of illegal poisoning to the police at 112, as these actions are criminal and dangerous.

Poisoned bait, Bruvno (photo: Biom)

Association Biom is a partner in the BalkanDetox LIFE project. The goal of this project is to improve capacities to fight wildlife poisoning and significantly reduce mortality rates of affected species. Unfortunately, illegal poisoning is a common practice in Croatia, leading to casualties among dogs, farm animals, pets, and various wild birds such as vultures, eagles, buzzards, and ravens.

(This article was translated into English by Nika Vuletić)