Charges have been brought against a 59-year-old man for having shot and killed three bears in Lierne on 22 May 2022. The man himself reported the incident to the police. The man is associated with the reindeer industry and the bears were shot in an area where several reindeer calves had recently been killed by bears, the police write in a press release. The indictment assumes that the defendant shot the three bears, and that this action led to a decline in a protected species that is threatened with extinction in Norway. Furthermore, the prosecution assumes that the conditions for emergency guardianship on behalf of the reindeer were not met. – Whether or not these conditions were met will be a central topic during the main proceedings in court, writes prosecuting police attorney Amund Sand in Trøndelag police district, in the press release. Explained that the bears attacked reindeer In the run-up to the incident, ten reindeer calves were found and bears are said to have also been observed. – While supervising the reindeer yesterday, this person came across the bear and these cubs, the police attorney told news at the time. In addition to the ten dead reindeer calves that were found before the incident, four new dead reindeer calves were found on Sunday afternoon. Owners of domestic reindeer, or others acting on the owner’s behalf, can kill game when it is considered necessary due to an ongoing or imminent attack on domestic reindeer. The police have now investigated whether the bears were shot in a legal emergency. The indictment therefore assumes that this is not the case. Penalty of five years The bear was shot in a management area for bears. In these management areas, the bear is prioritized and provision is made for breeding. Now it is up to the court to find out whether the 59-year-old had the right to shoot them or not. The penalty for violating the Natural Diversity Act is imprisonment for up to five years.
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Man indicted for shooting three bears in Lierne in Trøndelag – news Trøndelag
