Investigation underway

Dead wolf in Tyrol had a wound on its body

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(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

The discovery of a dead wolf in Neustift in the Tyrolean Stubai Valley (Innsbruck-Land district) is still keeping the investigating authorities busy. A wound was discovered on the animal's carcass. It is still unclear whether this was caused by a firearm, according to the police.

Although there is a suspicion that the animal may have been shot, "all directions are still being investigated", a police spokesperson told APA on Saturday. They would have to wait for the results of the investigation.

No known wolf sightings
The wolf carcass was discovered in a forest on Thursday. At the time, there was no valid regulation in place that would have authorized the shooting of a wolf in this area. Nothing was known about recent wolf sightings there. The dead wolf was taken to the Austrian Agency for Food Safety (AGES) for further investigations and an autopsy was carried out there. DNA samples were also sent to the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. The first results of the pathological examination are expected in the course of next week. The results of the DNA analysis should be available within the next 14 days.

Illegally shot wolf caused an uproar
In summer 2019, an illegally shot wolf caused a stir. A carcass whose head had been severed was found in Sellrain (Innsbruck-Land district). It remained unclear who had been responsible. After the most recent incident, the province referred to the legal possibility of killing high-risk animals within the framework of existing measures. In the previous year, 14 ordinances were passed by the black-red state government. Two animals were shot as a result. This year, a wolf was taken in East Tyrol.