Four Frenchmen arrested trying to steal nature reserve goslings

Some of the stolen goslings. Photo: Bertwin Bergman via Twitter

Four French nationals have been arrested for trying to steal 45 goslings and several eggs from the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve near Almere.

According to local broadcaster Omroep Flevoland, police and wardens are keeping an eye out for cars with French number plates after reports that poachers were tipping each other off about the ease of picking up goslings to use as lures.

The men were probably planning to clip the goslings’ wings so they could not fly and then use them to attract other geese which they could then shoot.

Despite the measures being taken to reduce the size of the Dutch geese population, taking geese from the reserve is a criminal offence. The punishment handed out to the poachers has not been made public.

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