A ruling that marks a judicial turning point 

On May 20, 2026, the decision handed down by the Strasbourg criminal court in the case of the lynx killed in Niederbronn-les-Bains continues to generate reactions far beyond the conservation community. A resident of the Bas-Rhin department was sentenced to a three-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay over 30,000 euros in damages to several environmental associations after causing the death of a young Eurasian lynx, a strictly protected species in France. The incident dates back to October 2024. A female lynx, approximately 4 months old, had entered a henhouse in Niederbronn-les-Bains, in the Northern Vosges. According to the facts established by the court, the property owner struck the animal with a stick as it was taking a chicken. Taken in by the competent services, the young feline succumbed to its injuries shortly afterwards.

Prosecuted for the unlawful destruction of a protected animal species, the woman in her sixties was found guilty. In addition to the suspended prison sentence, the court awarded substantial compensation to the civil party associations, which included several organizations dedicated to protecting the lynx and biodiversity.