Killing a wolf--an unusual case of forensic veterinary pathology

During a hunt in Western Pomerania in January 1999 a wolf, injured at the left hind leg, was killed by a shot in the chest region. It was a 2-year-old male that probably came to Germany from Poland by crossing the Oder River. The hunter was reported to the police afterwards, because there were doubts as to the legality of the lethal shot. The hunter pleaded relief by reason of section 22 a German Hunting Law (prevention of avoidable pain or suffering of wild animals). After the shooting there was a number of wrong expert statements by a veterinarian and two zoologists concerning the age of the injury on the left hind leg and the direction of the shot to the chest region, which were corrected by subsequent medico-legal examinations performed on the order of the prosecution.