The raid on the home of the poacher was carried out in Neuquén. During the operation, Fauna personnel and police officers found weapons, choique meat, and other frozen animals.
After an extensive and detailed investigation that lasted several months, personnel from the Division of Environmental Crimes and park rangers from Picún Leufú carried out a raid at the home of a man suspected of being a poacher of choiques and other animals in the area, such as piches and mara hares. The police operation was carried out on Friday at a residence in Cutral Co, following the judicial directives of the prosecutor’s office in charge of the case.
“The investigation began in mid-February when Fauna personnel filed a report informing that an individual was displaying on social media products from the hunting of wild animals that could be protected as trophies,” explained Commissioner Mario Campos, head of the Environmental Crimes Division of the Police.
From that report about the poacher, police officers carried out various intelligence and observation tasks in Cutral Co, until identifying the suspect and determining where he stored the captured wild animals, as well as the firearms he displayed in photos on social media.
“With all that information, a raid was requested from the Prosecutor’s Office and a commission from the Environmental Crimes of Neuquén moved to Cutral Co. The operation was carried out early on Friday at a residence on Pichi Neuquén street, and the result was highly positive, considering the time it took for the investigation and the resources used,” highlighted the head of the Environmental Crimes Division.
“Nicolás Lagos, provincial director of Fauna and Natural Protected Areas,” also valued the work done and the results of the operation. He reported that several products of wildlife were seized on the site, and the corresponding infractions were recorded. “Now, the case is in the hands of Justice,” added the provincial official.
Specifically, during the raid, 6 choiques, 5 piches, and one mara hare were found, all of them hunted and butchered.
“The products were frozen and stored inside the house,” added Lagos. Initially, the suspect stated that he had the material for personal consumption, so it could not be determined immediately if the poacher was engaged in the commercialization of these products. The discovery of a mara hare, “an animal declared vulnerable and highly protected in the area,” was striking, as warned by Campos.
In addition, the suspect had five firearms in his possession, of which “only two were documented. He could not justify the origin of the other three,” added the police chief of the Environmental Crimes Division.
The suspect was detained and taken to the 15th Police Station, where charges were brought against him. In addition to the seized firearms (a .22 caliber rifle and several shotguns), a large quantity of ammunition and other items related to hunting, such as a cage, a skinner, and native bushfirewood, were confiscated. The suspect was notified of all actions taken against him and the infractions committed.
### Curiosities about the choique
The choique is a flightless bird, very well adapted for running. It usually measures between 1 and 1.2 meters in height, in contrast to the ñandú which can reach 1.80 meters. A choique weighs between 15 and 30 kilograms.
Each dominant male has a small harem with several females that lay between 16 and 22 eggs in a polygamous manner next to the nest. Then, the male gathers and incubates them, also taking care of the chicks, known as “charitos.”
The egg-laying starts in the first week of August and lasts until mid-October. The diet of these birds is omnivorous, with a predominance of vegetables.
Their main natural predators are the puma and the red fox, although the gray fox and birds of prey also prey on juveniles. Choiques eat roots and seeds.
It is rare to see them near roads at night, as their activity is diurnal. At dawn, they start walking in search of water and food. Their presence on the side of routes 22 or 237 is no longer surprising, as from a distance, the asphalt attracts them, as their reflection is confused with an oasis. Therefore, preventive alerts are issued for drivers to be cautious when driving. At sunset, when the sun sets, they look for their nest to rest until the next day.
