Walldorf (dpa / lsw) – In the dispute over the ban on free-roaming cats in Walldorf, the district office of the Rhein-Neckar district issued a fine in a first case. As reported by the regional council as the higher nature conservation authority, in this case a free-roaming cat was repeatedly found in the danger area of ??the crested lark living in the south of Walldorf. Your owner must therefore pay 500 euros. The penalty payments are up to 50,000 euros. The crested lark is an endangered species of bird.

Fines can be imposed if the owner, contrary to the order, does not prevent his cat from being allowed to go outside during the period when the crested lark is breeding. The critical time when the young birds leave the nest and cannot yet fly is from April 1st to August 31st. A penalty payment is a means of avoiding enforcement of the general decree that will apply until 2025. It can also be charged repeatedly in the same amount.

Some cat owners have opposed house arrest for their animals. The Karlsruhe Regional Council has received 39 objections, all of which it rejected. Complaints could still be filed against this. The district office, which issued the controversial general decree, feels confirmed because eight young animals fledged in the first cat lockdown last year.