Exotic bearded dragons in the Black Forest: animal welfare in danger!

Exotic bearded dragons in the Black Forest: animal welfare in danger!

In the Black Forest, more precisely in Feldberg-Grafenhausen in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district, several exotic bearded dragons were recently discovered. These lively lizards, originally native to Australia, were found in a quarry by passers-by. The latest reports from SWR show that a total of seven animals were rescued, although some of them were in a questionable condition. The volunteers of the Freiburg Reptile Protection Association have taken on this challenge and are looking after the rescued lizards, which were apparently released last week.

Police believe malnourished, mostly adult bearded dragons may still be in the area. “Abandoning animals is a punishable offense under the Animal Protection Act,” says the police, who ask anyone to report information about the people responsible or any suspicious observations. Awareness about protecting these creatures needs to be raised because someone has clearly abdicated responsibility for these animals.

The case in the Upper Palatinate

A similar incident recently occurred in Upper Palatinate. There, two bearded dragons were discovered abandoned in a parking lot. Here too, the police arrived quickly and discovered that the animals had already cooled down considerably. These lizards were taken to a reptile sanctuary in Munich. A specialist veterinarian is looking after her and during examinations found several healed broken bones and even sand in her stomach.

Due to the circumstances, an x-ray is also taken in this case to precisely check the animals' health. “Bearded dragons need intense UV radiation and warm temperatures to stay healthy,” explains the sanctuary. It remains to be seen whether these animals will soon find a new, loving home. However, if her condition does not improve, euthanasia could be considered.

Legal circumstances

The abandonment or abandonment of animals is clearly regulated in the Austrian Animal Protection Act. According to Article 26 Paragraph 1 Letter e of the TSchG, this is considered cruelty to animals. It doesn't matter whether something actually happens to the animals, what matters is the dangerous situation into which they are placed. That is why it is the responsibility of animal owners to take good care of their animals and not to release them into the wild carelessly, especially not in an alien habitat.

The events surrounding bearded dragons in the Black Forest and Upper Palatinate show that animals that people no longer want are often simply abandoned. We hope that such incidents will decrease in the future and that awareness of animal protection will increase among the population.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the results of the investigation or the next possible steps can contact the responsible authorities or the Freiburg Reptile Protection Association. A good hand in caring for these special animals is essential for their well-being.

For all details and ongoing developments on this topic, please refer to the articles from SWR, South Germans and the legal information of Animal in the right.