- The Chania Prosecution has ordered an urgent investigation into a horrific allegation: workers killed and roasted a protected Kri-Kri inside the Samaria Gorge.
- The Chania Forestry Directorate is actively collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
- If proven, the act constitutes a double felony: the illegal killing of a strictly protected species and the criminal act of lighting a fire in a high-risk national park.
Authorities in Crete have launched an urgent investigation into allegations that a protected Cretan wild goat (kri-kri) was illegally killed inside Samaria National Park, one of Greece’s most important protected natural areas.
The Ultimate Betrayal in the Heart of the Gorge
According to local reports, the Chania Public Prosecutor has ordered a preliminary investigation after claims emerged that individuals working for a private contractor entered the Samaria Gorge to carry out restoration work but allegedly killed one of the park’s iconic wild goats during their assignment.
The allegations go further, claiming the animal was roasted and consumed inside the protected national park.
The Chania Forest Directorate has been tasked with conducting the investigation, collecting evidence, and interviewing witnesses to determine whether the allegations are substantiated. Officials have confirmed that the inquiry is ongoing but have declined to comment further while the investigation remains active.
The kri-kri (Capra aegagrus cretica) is one of Crete’s best-known wildlife species and is strictly protected under Greek and European legislation. Once close to extinction, the population has largely recovered thanks to decades of conservation efforts centered on the White Mountains and Samaria National Park.
If the allegations are confirmed, the case could involve multiple environmental violations, including the illegal killing of a protected species. Investigators are also expected to examine reports that a fire was allegedly lit within the national park, an especially serious concern during Crete’s peak wildfire season.
Χανιά – Εισαγγελική έρευνα: Έσφαξαν, έψησαν και έφαγαν κρι-κρι μέσα στο Φαράγγι της Σαμαριάς
