Overview
- The county’s conservation authority says the destruction appears deliberate and has opened an investigation.
- If evidence supports a criminal offense, the case will be referred to the public prosecutor, according to the county.
- Police environmental investigators are examining a possible violation of the Federal Nature Conservation Act.
- Authorities say fines could reach €50,000 or include imprisonment if a beaver was harmed or its lodge rendered uninhabitable.
- Officials note that approved options such as installing a drainage pipe or reducing dam height were available after a private request last autumn triggered warnings that any intervention required prior coordination.