Animal welfare association reports shooting of a stork in Letschin district

Groß-Neuendorf is a district of the municipality of Letschin in the district of Märkisch-Oderland. In the village stands a church, from whose roof or tower the stork is said to have been shot, according to the association. The exact spatial conditions and the precise shooting position have not yet been conclusively documented publicly; the animal welfare association relies on its own observations and information from the population, which it summarized to the RBB.

Werschke and his association are demanding that the case be fully clarified. The shooting of a stork fulfills the elements of an offense against the Federal Nature Conservation Act and the Animal Welfare Act. Which authority is investigating in the case is currently unclear – possible candidates include the police of the state of Brandenburg as well as the lower nature conservation authority of the district of Märkisch-Oderland. The responsible public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt (Oder) could also be involved as soon as a concrete suspect has been identified.

Legal situation and possible investigating authorities

When exactly the shot at the stork was fired cannot be clearly determined from the information available so far. The animal welfare association spoke to the RBB about an incident that only became public through media coverage. This places the case in a series of reports of illegally killed or injured storks that have repeatedly caused a stir in the Brandenburg region in recent years.

The stork has a special status in the Mark Brandenburg, both ecologically and culturally. White storks return in spring from their winter quarters in Africa to Central and Eastern Europe and breed in wetlands, on rooftops, and in specially constructed nesting aids. In Groß-Neuendorf and the surrounding area, there are several breeding pairs according to local stork caretakers; each individual animal is protected under the Federal Nature Conservation Act.

Significance of the stork in the Mark Brandenburg

The animal welfare association "Frutzel" has, according to its own statements, filed a complaint so that police and authorities can identify the shooter. Who may have killed the stork is currently unknown. A possible connection with targeted shots at other protected animals in the region is also being investigated, without the authorities having made any public statements on this so far.

Parallel to the police investigation, according to the association, the search for witnesses is underway. Residents who have made suspicious observations around the church in Groß-Neuendorf in recent days are asked to contact the association or the police. According to the association, tips can also be submitted to the Police Directorate East in Strausberg, which is responsible for the eastern part of Brandenburg.

Witness appeal and search for the shooter

Werschke criticized that the stork was killed without any necessity. "Das schilderte der Vorsitzende des Tierschutzvereins „Frutzel" in Frankfurt (Oder), Steffen Werschke", the RBB summarized the chairman's statement. The association recalled that storks are strictly protected and that violations can be punished with severe fines or even prison sentences.

The municipality of Letschin has so far not publicly commented on the incident. The lower monument protection authority, which would be responsible for the church, was also initially unreachable. If traces are secured on the building, they would need to be properly documented in order to be able to convict the shooter later.

The animal welfare association announced that it would continue to advocate for the stork population in the region even after the conclusion of the investigation. In addition to clarifying the individual case, the association wants to push for stronger monitoring of known breeding sites and more public education in the villages, so that future incidents are reported earlier and perpetrators can be identified more quickly.