Two men are on trial in Neufchâteau (Luxembourg province) for killing beavers and displaying their corpses on poles near Houffalize. The Luxembourg Public Prosecutor's Office demanded fines be brought against them on Tuesday, RFL Info reports.
In May 2021, horrified passers-by discovered several beavers hanging from signposts near Houffalize. The Anti-Poaching Unit's investigations led to the identification of two local men suspected of orchestrating the killing of the animals and displaying their remains, on the basis of video surveillance images and telephone analysis.
Prosecuted before the Neufchâteau Criminal Court on Tuesday morning, one of the suspects admitted that he had shot the beavers to preserve a pond that he owns. "I had applied to the Walloon Region for an exemption to get rid of the beavers. I was refused. But as soon as my property was being damaged, I had a duty to intervene," he explained before the court on Tuesday.
The defendant, however, denies any involvement in the display of corpses along the roadside. The second defendant denies any involvement whatsoever, including in the slaughter of the beavers.
The men are accused of killing at least six beavers – which are a protected species in Belgium – as well as displaying them publicly, destroying a beaver dam and hunting a Canada goose.
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"The environment rarely complains about damage caused at its expense. These are barbaric acts, and they are being displayed with a beaver hanging by its tail for all to see. A surveillance camera at a nearby shop captured the individuals on film," the magistrate explained.
"Thanks to DNA analysis, we are certain that at least six European beavers were shot, probably by a 22-calibre gun. Analysis of the mobile phones clearly shows an exchange of messages between the two defendants in which the request for a weapon is explicitly made. There were also photos of beaver corpses in a wheelbarrow."
The nature conservation association Natagora has brought a civil action. It is claiming a total of €5,000 for the six beavers whose deaths are attributed to the two defendants.
The Public Prosecutor is seeking fines of €16,000 for each of the two men, underlining the visceral hatred expressed towards rodents, as well as the barbaric nature of the charges against them. Sentencing will take place on 28 November.
