Despite the changes in public attitudes towards large carnivores in recent decades, there are still many people who regard large carnivores as something undesirable. Throughout Europe, poaching remains one of the commonest causes of mortality for large carnivores. In most cases it is deliberate poaching - specifically aimed at the carnivore. However, in other cases, such as in this picture, it is aimed at wild herbivores where large carnivores represent an unintentional by-catch. Changing the attitudes of hunters towards large carnivores remains one of the most crucial issues in their conservation.
Text: John Linnell / Photo: Krzysztof Schmidt