A Dutch animal rights group is offering up to €5,000 in exchange for a "golden tip" which could lead to the presumed poachers of wolf Naya and her cubs.
"Anyone who gives the golden tip that leads to the unmasking and conviction of the perpetrator can count on a reward of 5000 euros," Animal Rights said in a statement.
The offer follows news by Flemish nature experts said that the wolves, who have not been not seen for an extended period of time, were most likely killed by professional hunters.
"The wolves were in inaccessible areas where no one was allowed. The act must have been well-prepared by professionals,” Flemish agency Natuur en Bos said.
On Tuesday, the animal rights group said that the presumed killers of Naya and her cubs should be "severely punished" for their crime.
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"The illegal killing of an animal is a crime and must, therefore, be punished severely," the statement read. "It is not possible that hunters place themselves above the law and simply get away with it too."
The group said that Naya had "several" enemies, referring to farmers who expressed fear over their cattle when she was first sighted in the forests.
But, sharing pictures of "Belgian trophy hunters" holding up dead wolves, the group also said that Naya and her cubs were in their sights.
"At present, there is no concrete evidence of who killed Naya and her cubs, Animal Rights wants to ensure that this proof comes," the statement read, adding that Flanders punished the killing of protected European wolves by up to 5 years imprisonment and €500,000 fines.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
