Hautes-Alpes wolf poaching case heads to trial
Three people will be tried before a criminal court for the illegal killing of nine protected wolves in the Hautes-Alpes department of France. The investigation, launched in April 2025 after a wildlife‑damage report, was led by the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB), which installed camera traps near a dwelling.
On 28 March 2026 OFB inspectors observed signs that a wolf had been shot outside any legal framework. The following day searches by OFB agents and gendarmes uncovered a carcass pit, numerous firearms and a wolf carcass. Phones seized from the site contained hundreds of photographs of dead animals, especially wolves, linking several individuals to the poaching network.
The three suspects were placed in custody and are scheduled to appear before the criminal court in January 2027. Six additional persons were questioned as free witnesses, with the possibility of further summonses. French law strictly protects wolves, allowing lethal action only in limited circumstances such as livestock defence.
Entities: French criminal court · Hautes-Alpes · Marion Lozac'hmeur · Office français de la biodiversité (OFB)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The investigation began in April 2025 after a report of wildlife offences in the north of the Hautes-Alpes department. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Three individuals will be tried before a criminal court for illegally killing nine wolves in Hautes-Alpes. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The next day OFB and gendarmes discovered a carcass pit, numerous firearms and a wolf carcass during searches. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Six other individuals were questioned as free witnesses, with the possibility of further summonses. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Office français de la biodiversité installed image‑capturing devices near a dwelling as part of its surveillance. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] On 28 March 2026 OFB inspectors observed evidence suggesting a wolf had been shot illegally. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The three suspects were placed in custody and will appear before the criminal court in January 2027. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Phones seized contained many photographs of dead animals, especially wolves, linking several people to the killings. (All articles)