Newsroom
Authorities from the Game and Fauna Service were placed on high alert on Thursday evening following reports of gunfire and illegal hare hunting in the area between Mammari and Denia, within the Buffer Zone.
The information reached the Service shortly after 6:00 p.m., prompting the immediate deployment of two patrol units. As the situation developed, two additional patrols were dispatched to assist, bringing the total to four. Officers soon identified two quad bikes believed to be involved in the suspected poaching activity and attempted to stop them for inspection.
One of the vehicles was chased by patrols, while the second headed in the direction of the occupied areas. The terrain proved to be a major obstacle to enforcement efforts. The open, flat landscape, combined with cultivated land and muddy fields, made it extremely difficult to block or intercept the quad bikes, allowing both to evade capture.
Despite this, officers carefully tracked the movements of the suspects and later located a spot within the Buffer Zone where the hunters appeared to have hidden their illegal catch. A subsequent search of the area led to the discovery of four freshly killed hares placed inside plastic bags. The animals were confiscated as evidence.
Search operations in the wider area continued into Friday morning, as authorities sought further evidence or information that could assist in identifying those responsible for the illegal hunting activity.
