Moufflon being killed for €80 a kilo

THE GAME Fund said yesterday that poaching of protected moufflon or ‘agrino’ in Greek, was on the increase as authorities on Sunday arrested a 21-year-old man with three freshly-killed animals in his vehicle.

“In recent years there has been an increase in poaching, which is linked to the increase in the population of the specific species,” which makes them more accessible, Game Fund chief Pantelis Hadjiyerou said.

It is believed that the main motive is financial as a kilo of moufflon meat on the black market ranges between €50 and €80.

The Game Fund chief confirmed reports that the poachers in the specific case had been working to order.

“We knew there was an order and that is why the specific group was under surveillance,” Hadjiyerou said.

He did not make public any details on who ordered the animals.

“Some may work on order or kill the animals to have them when someone asks,” Hadjiyerou said.

And the work of the poachers is made easier with the development of roads in remote areas as well as the firebreaks in the forest, which provide better access.

Police and Game Fund officers chased the three alleged poachers in the Paphos forest in the early hours of Sunday after they tried to dodge a police search.

They managed to locate the vehicle around an hour later but only the driver was inside along with three freshly-killed moufflon.

The 21-year-old Paphos man was arrested and questioned exhaustively.

It was reported yesterday that police detained a second suspect in connection with the case.

The Cyprus moufflon is a sub-species of wild sheep unique to the island and until a few years ago an endangered species. It can be found mainly in the Paphos forest.

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