The hunter who shot the Swiss wolf in Hungary may get a brutal sentence

Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrator. But the hunter can expect a particularly harsh sentence due to the public outcry.

The wolf wandered hundreds of kilometres from Switzerland to Hungary last year before it was shot near Hidasnémeti by a Hungarian hunter. The animal’s collar was taken down and found by the authorities, who are still searching for the carcass. János Nagy, a secretary of the prime minister’s office and a close co-worker of PM Orbán, reckons that the perpetrator should receive a prison sentence as an example to others.

According to index.hu, authorities launched an investigation into the case after the wolf’s GPS collar was found near Hidasnémeti, in the Hernád River. The wolf wandered more than 1,900 kilometres from Switzerland to Hungary. That was the longest journey ever recorded by a wolf in Europe.

Killed wolf sparks public outcry

The animal passed the cities of Innsbruck, Vienna and Budapest until it reached the Northern Hungarian village close to the Slovakian border. There a hunter shot down the wolf even though the species are protected in Hungary. Based on media reports, the perpetrator destroyed the GPS collar before throwing it into the nearby stream. However, the tracker remained functional.

János Nagy, a secretary of PM Orbán’s office, said that the prosecutors should ask for a prison sentence for the amateur hunter who committed the illegal act. He added that what happened was flagrant environmental damage.

Here is Nagy’s post:

Attila Földvári, the spokesman of the Hungarian hunters’ chamber also condemned the crime. He highlighted that protected predators must not be killed. Mr Földvári said that all hunters’ reputations have been stained now due to this single incident.