“BALKAN CHAMOIS SOCIETY”
UPDATE TO EACH AUTHORITY
AT THIS MOMENT IN MOUNT GRAMMOS (Friday 7 October 2022, time 10.30 am)
Today, October 7, 2022, a poacher entered the Greek territory from Albania in the morning on Mount Grammos in the area of the village of Plikati (Konitsa Municipality) and is roaming in the habitat of the BALKAN CHAMOIS (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) in the Skotadi-Rosdoli area, tracking the area with his hunting dog.
Being close to a herd of Balkan chamois, he fired at least once at them, but, due to the distance, it was not known if it was successful. At this time (11.00 am) the poaching incident is ongoing. There are probably other poachers with him in certain positions waiting for the animals to pass in front of them.
We remind you that in this area (Greece-Albania border line on Mount Grammos on the rocks above the village of Plikati), other similar incidents have been recorded and publicized. The latter was recorded and made public last year with the relevant evidence (23/8/2021), i.e. a photo of the poacher with the killed chamois loaded on the horse during his return from Greece to Albania (the photo we are republishing here).
It is estimated that this poacher, from the moment he stops poaching, needs about an hour to cross the border and another two hours and maybe more to approach the possible villages in Albania from which he apparently set off (Rahovi/ Rahove, Staria / Starje and Erseka/ Erseka.
Because this phenomenon, i.e. the poaching of individuals of the rare and protected species of the BALKAN CHAMOIS (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) by poachers coming from Albanian territory, occurs continuously and because of this phenomenon the population of this protected species has decreased dramatically and because from the side of Greece due to the relief and the distance and the course of the poacher there is no scope for successful intervention to arrest him:
WE REQUEST that PUBLIC SERVANTS of the GAME GUARD or FORESTRY SERVICE or PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE AND PROTECTED AREAS or POLICE of the ALBANIAN COMPETENT SERVICES move from the Albanian villages RAHOVE/ RAHOVE, STARIA/ STARJE and ERSEKA/ ERSEKA towards the mountain pass between the villages of ERSEKA AND PLIKATI, in order to arrest the perpetrator (or perpetrators).
We note that the practice of hunting of any species in Albania is prohibited and the hunting of balkan chamois in Greece by any means and in any way is also prohibited.
Your immediate action would help the most in the protection of WILDLIFE and especially the survival of the population depleted by intense poaching of the rare and protected species BALKAN CHAMOIS (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) that lives in the mountainous border zone between Greece and Albania on Mount Grammos.
