Spanish hunters killed 540 wild deer in two days at a hunting center in Portugal. Portuguese officials strongly condemned the incident, stating that the deer population in the area has largely disappeared.
On 17 and 18 December in the Torrebala hunting area, about a kilometer from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. 16 Spanish hunters nearly slaughtered more than 500 deer and wild boars for two years.
“A DEEPLY WORKED ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME”
Portuguese officials strongly expressed their anger at the massacre. Environment Minister João Fernandes says animal killing by Spanish hunters. He said it was “despicable” and that it was an “environmental crime” that should be investigated.
In the statement made by the Ministry of Environment, “We need to make a statement about the news about the indiscriminate killing of animals. This has nothing to do with hunting, it is a slaughter aimed at the destruction of biodiversity and ecosystems.
PENALIZATION OF SPANISH HUNTERS
In the Torrebala hunting area, tourists are allow to hunt animals sporadically, However, it stated that with the last incident, the wild deer population in the region has largely disappeared.
Authorities said the animals could not escape because the 12,700-acre farm surrounded by walls.
Photos of the deer massacre are also circulate on social media. While many people reacted to the incident, the Spanish demanded that the hunters be punished.
