One September day last year, an uninvited guest came into the chicken coop in Kåre Torbjørnsen’s yard at Tysnes. – He had torn a hen in the sea. I went in with just my hands, knowing that the hawk is known to follow the eye, says Torbjørnsen. For about ten minutes, the man fought against the hawk in the cage. Finally Torbjørnsen got hold of the hawk and broke his neck. The drama unfolded in this henhouse. Photo: Private – I was completely scratched. I bled on my arms and had to go to the doctor to get a tetanus injection and antibiotics, he says. He then wrote about the incident in a post on Facebook. Haugesund’s newspaper mentioned the case first. Wanted to give him away for free Not long after, he received a comment from one of his Facebook friends. “Are you aware that the goshawk is safe?” – I wasn’t. When I was growing up, everyone had chickens, and whoever shot a goshawk got a pat on the back, it was seen as a good deed. Torbjørnsen thought that someone could get pleasure from stopping the goshawk. He therefore published the advertisement for free hawks on the digital marketplace Finn. Photo: Private Torbjørnsen thought it was a shame to let the animal go to play. He therefore put the hawk out in a “given away” advertisement on Finn. – Then the hawk struck again, he says (with a twinkle in his eye). A Finn user saw the post and made Torbjørnsen aware that it was an environmental crime, and that he was going to report him to various animal welfare organizations and to the police. – I felt a shock and then I thought “how stupid of me”. But what’s done is done. Torbjørnsen says he regrets that he posted the post on Facebook and on Finn. Photo: Private Proposal of NOK 16,000 The police received a notification from a caller and also received a message from the animal protection organization Noah. This is confirmed by police attorney Cathrine Melau in the West police district. They investigated the case and gave Torbjørnsen a fine of NOK 16,000 for not notifying the killing of the hawk, not for the killing itself, the police attorney clarifies. – It is a criminal offense not to report to the police, and it is also a criminal offense to keep a protected animal without a permit, says Melau. Torbjørnsen has not accepted the proposal and the case is therefore going to court. – It seems completely pointless to pay 16,000 for what happened. I will not accept that, says Torbjørnsen. – Should have released it Siri Martinsen in the animal protection organization Noah confirms that they have reported Torbjørnsen to the police. – It is important to report on cases where people take measures against wildlife and wild animals. Siri Martinsen is a veterinarian and professional manager at Noah. Photo: NOAH / Bente Isefjær She points out that the goshawk is a red-listed species. Nevertheless, she understands that he tried to protect his chickens from a wild animal. – But when he got hold of the bird he should have released it without killing it. Torbjørnsen says he wanted to protect his chickens. – I understand that Noah is very concerned about animals and birds being taken care of, but so am I. We are not in a collision there. I didn’t know I was doing something wrong. Martinsen says Noah has not had very many cases with protected birds of prey in the past. – But otherwise it is quite common for people to resort to killing wild animals. It is also relatively common to harass wild animals, she says. Økokrim believes that there are large dark figures when it comes to offenses against protected birds of prey and predators in general. Must defend himself When the case goes before the Haugaland and Sunnhordland district court in Stord on September 14, the 77-year-old must defend himself. During the last year, he has therefore studied law on his own. He says that he is excited before the trial. – I am betting on an acquittal.
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Killed a goshawk and posted an ad on Finn. Now he has to appear in court – news Vestland
