It's important to maintain a healthy relationship with local wildlife in order to create a strong ecosystem, but those who don't adhere to this belief will rightfully suffer consequences.
WISN 12 News reported in October that Jessica Kroening of Brownsville, Wisconsin, is facing charges stemming from what investigators described as "a large-scale deer-poaching scheme" that killed more than 100 deer within a 200-square-mile radius between the spring of 2023 and this past July.
The 36-year-old is being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a child, illegal deer shining, and resisting a conservation warden, per NBC 26. The crimes occurred across parts of Fond du Lac, Washington, and Dodge counties.
According to the complaint, Kroening admitted to investigators that she accompanied a 16-year-old male one night and shined a light while he shot at deer out of a car window. Investigators say the teen and two other male juveniles took part in the killings, sometimes taking the heads of some bucks and other times leaving them to rot. Prosecutors said Kroening supplied the juveniles with her vehicle and firearms.
The group would allegedly sometimes hit deer with their car and take selfies or videos while the deer was still suffering, according to investigators. Prosecutors said Kroening admitted to destroying one of the minor's phones after learning law enforcement obtained a search warrant for it.
She consented to a search of her vehicle, and law enforcement uncovered a bloody steak knife, a bloody wooden saw, a spotlight, three bloody floormats, a .22-caliber bullet, and two bloody pocket knives. She also turned over two firearms the teens had used to authorities, both of which had the serial numbers scratched off.
This incident is another example of the challenges of wildlife conservation. In Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park, rangers have been working tirelessly to remove traps and snares to protect wildlife and combat poaching.
With the right support and education, individuals can help protect our planet's precious ecosystems, such as the former poachers in Indonesia who have turned into conservationists and now work alongside scientists to restore coral reefs.
Kroening is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Dec. 2.
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