After a three-month ban to protect an endangered bird species, cats are now allowed to move freely again in Walldorf in Baden-Württemberg. This means that the nationwide unique measure in the Rhine-Neckar district ends two weeks earlier than planned. This was announced by the district office Rhein-Neckar-Kreis in a press release. Thanks to the weather conditions, the juveniles of the endangered crested larks are so far developed that there is no longer any risk for them, the authority justified the step. Therefore, free-running cats are now likely to come to the door again.
At the same time, the authority made it clear that the original general order with the current partial change was not lifted. "It continues until 2025 - each in the period from April 1 to August 31," confirmed the office, in which some cat owners had objected. A penalty payment of 500 euros had been imposed against a holder. According to the office, its animal had been observed how it was hunting near the breeding area of the birds in the south of the place.
The arrangement came into force at very short notice in mid -May and caused a sensation nationwide. The district office justifies the freewheel ban with the reference to only 60 breeding areas in the country. From the cats, a considerable danger to the floor breeders, which also only searched for food on the ground. In Walldorf-Süd there were only three breeding pairs last year. Animal rights activists, on the other hand, had drawn attention to the predicament of the cats who were used to free access.
