DNA points to golden jackal in Pitztal goat deaths

DNA from six goats found dead in the Pitztal valley points to a golden jackal, not a wolf, as the likely predator, ORF reports. A wolf was shot nearby the following night, and authorities are now reviewing whether the killing was lawful.

The goats were found near a residential area in Arzl in the Pitztal valley on September 6. A wolf was shot in the area the next night, although the regional government had not issued a culling order. The shooting was justified at the time on the grounds that there was an imminent danger.

The prosecutor’s office has closed its investigation into the shooting, so there will be no criminal consequences. The Imst district authority must still determine whether the shooting breached Tyrol’s hunting law.

The DNA result suggests the wolf that was shot may not have been responsible for the goat deaths. The WWF criticised the decision to shoot before the facts were established. “Shoot first, establish the facts afterwards: this practice is irresponsible,” said Christian Pichler, the organisation’s species-protection expert, calling on the regional government to stop premature killings.

The WWF also said two wolf culling orders had recently been issued in Tyrol before DNA results were available, calling such killings based on suspicion legally problematic under European law. The regional government said checks are carried out before orders are issued, but DNA analyses can take weeks. In the meantime, decisions are generally based on bite marks and other findings.

The regional government says wolves, though protected, can be killed under certain conditions if classified as problem or risk animals. A culling order or notification from the government is normally required, but a wolf may also be shot if there is an imminent threat to the life or health of livestock. The Imst authority will assess whether that exception applied in this case.