Bison found dead and decapitated in Romania, police investigate suspected poaching

A bison was found decapitated in the area of Ilva Mare, Bistrița-Năsăud County, by locals on Thursday, October 8.

A day later, an animal protection association, Ramses, filed a complaint with the police, and a criminal file was opened. The bison is a protected species in Romania.

"A body without a head and questions to which the authorities must find answers. The Ramses Association has filed a complaint requesting that the perpetrator be identified and demanding the maximum prison sentence provided by law, to be served, for the illegal killing of this animal," officials of the Ramses Association said in a post on Facebook.

The discovery was officially confirmed by the Bistrița-Năsăud County Police, and teams from the Bistrița-Năsăud County Police Inspectorate and the Directorate for Veterinary Health and Food Safety (DSVSA) were sent to the scene.

"A team consisting of police officers from the Weapons, Explosives and Hazardous Substances Bureau, together with officers from the Sângeorz-Băi Rural Police Section 7, identified the animal's carcass in the area of Ivăneasa," the police announced on Friday.

The discovery was confirmed by the county prefect, Stelian Dolha. The absence of the head raises suspicions of possible poaching, but the cause of death and the circumstances in which the animal was decapitated are to be established through the investigation.

The bison weighed around 800 kilograms and had been spotted in the region since August, peacefully grazing around people's properties.

A few days earlier, forester Iosif Buia Pop had photographed it.

"I suspect it came from an area where bison have been reintroduced, possibly in Neamț County, but I don't know for sure where it came from or how long it will stay here. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see such a specimen in the wild, in the middle of the forest. It has an imposing presence and dimensions that the photograph does not truly capture," Iosif Buia Pop said at the time, cited by TVRInfo.

According to Bistrițeanul.ro, DSVSA representatives had intervened the day before because the animal appeared weak and had foam around its mouth. The bison had been sedated, and samples had been collected for testing.