Overview

• A protected beaver was discovered dead in a bathing lake near Nitzenhäuser Straße in Künzelsau, Baden-Württemberg, on April 29.
• Municipal workers found the carcass and brought it ashore, where police later confirmed it had been killed with a crossbow.
• Investigators recovered two crossbow bolts from the beaver's body and have launched a formal criminal investigation.
• Authorities are calling on witnesses to come forward with any information that could help identify the perpetrator.
• Beavers are strictly protected under European conservation laws, and harming them carries significant legal penalties.