Tragic hunting accident: On Saturday evening, a six-year-old girl was struck by a shot to the pelvis and arm while in a garden in the district of Großsaara. Due to the serious injuries, she had to undergo surgery on Sunday. Since a harvest hunt for wild boar was taking place near the garden allotment «Am Saarbach» at the time, it is assumed that the girl was accidentally shot by one of the
Germany: 6-Year-Old Injured in Hunting Accident
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Tragic hunting accident: On Saturday evening, a six-year-old girl was struck by a shot to the pelvis and arm while in a garden in the district of Grosssaara. Due to the serious injuries, she had to undergo surgery on Sunday. Since a harvest hunt for wild boar was taking place near the garden allotment «Am Saarbach» at the time, it is assumed that the girl was accidentally shot by one of the hobby hunters. In light of this and similar hunting accidents, the animal rights organisation PETA is calling for a long-overdue ban on so-called recreational hunting in Germany.
PETA calls for a ban on recreational hunting
«How many more people have to be seriously injured or killed before hobby hunting is finally banned?» said Peter Höffken, specialist adviser at PETA. «Year after year, countless tragedies occur because trigger-happy recreational hunters shoot around irresponsibly. Legislative intervention is long overdue.»
PETA points out that every year not only are hundreds of thousands of animals caused considerable suffering through missed shots, but several dozen people are also killed and injured by hobby hunters. It is not uncommon for hobby hunters to be under the influence of alcohol.
Recreational hunting increases birth rates
Scientific studies confirm that recreational hunting is not an effective means of permanently regulating wildlife populations. Scientists have demonstrated that, for example, female animals in hunted wild boar populations reach sexual maturity earlier, which increases the birth rate. Accordingly, high hunting pressure causes the population of the wildlife species in question in that area to increase.
Prof. Dr. Josef Reichholf, a prominent biologist at the Technical University of Munich, also sees no necessity for hobby hunting from a wildlife biology perspective: The nearly exterminated wolves do not need to be replaced by human hobby hunters, as natural regulation of wildlife populations living in forests occurs through environmental factors such as weather, food availability, and disease.
The more than 380’000 hobby hunters in Germany are contrasted by only around 1’200 professional hunters, primarily forestry officials. More on crime and hobby hunting and on the animal welfare problem.
More on the topic of hobby hunting: In our dossier on hunting we compile fact checks, analyses, and background reports.