Morocco Jails Two for Killing Endangered Hyena in Viral Video

The case is unprecedented. The court of first instance in Béni Mellal on Tuesday sentenced two people accused of killing a wild animal in the Tagzirt forest, in the province of Béni Mellal, reports Alyaoum24. The animal in question is a hyena, whose species is endangered. Their crime was recorded in a video widely shared on the internet. The animal could be seen dying.

This video had prompted the Royal Gendarmerie and the justice system to open an investigation. Five people were arrested for tracking the animal before killing it and throwing it into a well. But ultimately, two of them were prosecuted by the public prosecutor’s office for "hunting and capturing an animal belonging to a protected species". They each received three months in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams.