Svrljiške Mountains poisoning case results in suspended sentence for black vulture death

The Society for the Protection and Study of Birds of Serbia has expressed serious concern regarding the legal outcome of a case involving the poisoning of a black vulture in the Svrljiške Mountains. Following a plea agreement with the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Niš, the perpetrator received a six-month prison sentence, which will be suspended if no further criminal offenses are committed within the next two years.

Investigations revealed that poison was placed on a calf carcass intended for wild animals. The black vulture, a strictly protected species that has nearly disappeared from Serbia, died after consuming the bait. Ornithologist Slobodan Marković emphasized that the bird was part of significant international efforts to restore the species' population in the Balkans.

The perpetrator was prosecuted only for the crime of ‘polluting food and water for the feeding or watering of animals.’ Conservationists have criticized the ruling, questioning the message sent to future offenders when the intentional killing of a highly endangered species results in only a suspended sentence.