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Dresden Court Blocks Saxony’s Plan to Remove or Kill Beavers in Biosphere Reserve

An emergency stay cites likely illegality of the permit under strict German and EU species protections.

Overview

  • The court granted the Green League’s emergency application, immediately stopping any capture, relocation, or killing of the animals.
  • Saxony had authorized removing all beavers between October 2025 and March 2026 with relocation to France and killing as a fallback if transport failed.
  • Judges highlighted the site’s status within the Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft biosphere reserve and an EU special protection area.
  • The ruling found no proof that removal would prevent future damage and noted that non-lethal technical alternatives were not assessed.
  • The pond operator reports about €190,000 in repairs since 2019 and a June dam failure, while the state and owner have two weeks to appeal as the beavers remain on site.