• austriantimes.at
• croatiantimes.com
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at

26. 04. 12. - 09:00

• more Around the World news...
• RSS Feed Around the World

26. 04. 12. - 09:00

Hunter 71 Admits Wolf Killing

Kathryn Quinn

An elderly German hunter has turned himself into police and apologised after shooting dead the first wolf to be seen in the Rhineland area of the country in 123 years.

The 71-year-old has been told that a DNA test is currently being carried out on the body and if the animal he shot turns out to have been a wolf as suspected – then he faces up to 5 years in jail.

The man who was not named because of German data protection laws is the owner of woodland in the area and said he believed the animal had been a stray dog. He turned himself in after animal rights groups offered a 4,000 GBP reward to help track down the identity of the killer.

Because the wolf had been shot with a high-calibre rifle police were fairly certain it was a local hunter, who would have had to be licensed to have such weapon legally, that was to blame.

The wolf was found dead on Monday evening by walkers. After the reward was offered the hunter showed up at a police station in the small town of Montabaur in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany and admitted he had shot the animal.

A spokesman for the local hunter's association said the man had just wanted to protect the wild game on his land. "He is extremely sorry that he shot a wolf," the man said.

German conservationist society NABU is waiting for the DNA test before demanding charges against the unknown shooter. "The killing of this wolf is a malicious act," said NABU leader Leif Mueller.

Olaf Strub from NABU said: "This was a very strongly protected animal. The man faces a prison sentence of up to five years if the DNA tests confirm it was a wolf. We are already 99 per cent certain, but for charges we need to have proof. "

Tragic Ski Girl Dies
A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died after skiing into a tree at high speed during a family holiday tragedy in the Austrian Alps.

Peak Performance
Police chiefs in Hamburg, Germany, are celebrating after new crime figures showed there wasn't a single bank robbery in the city last year.

Chinese Fakeaway
Chinese property developers who've been thwarted in a bid to buy up an entire Austrian village have settled on the next best thing - an entire life-sized replica.

Austrian children help Romanian kids
A charity project run by the middle school in Hippach has been recognised with an award for its social work by officials in Tyrol.

Mother kills disabled daughter because she couldnt take care of her any longer
A Romanian woman killed her 8 year-old disabled daughter on Wednesday (yesterday)because she couldn't pay for her care, Libertatea newspaper reports.

Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
A Policeman from Vulcan, Western Romania is currently being investigated for having sex with a minor, the son of his girlfriend, Cancan newspaper informs today (Thurs).

Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
An 85 year-old woman who survived the most cruel and notorious serial killer in Romania some 40 years ago, recently fell from the first floor of her apartment building and she walked away safe and sound, Cancan newspaper reports today (Thurs).

The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
The son of the Board of Administration of Qatar Airlines Akbar Al Baker, was beaten up over the weekend at the launching party of a posh club in Mamaia, at the Romanian Black Sea shore, Cancan newspaper reports.

Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
A day after the Social Liberal Union (USL) legislators dismissed with a large majority of votes the two Speakers of the Parliament, the Union started today the procedures for the suspension and possible impeachment of President Traian Basescu. This is the second time when the Parliament asks for Basescu’s suspension.

Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
Some 177 Romanian citizens of Roma origin were repatriated on Tuesday night from Lille, France, Romania TV news channel informs today (Weds).