Farmer receives warning after 55 deer found dead in Šiauliai district

A farmer in Šiauliai district has been issued an official warning after environmental inspectors discovered 55 dead deer on his property, though police did not investigate potential poisoning due to lack of a formal complaint, LRT.lt reports.

The carcasses, found in varying states of decomposition, were too deteriorated to determine the cause of death, authorities confirmed. The discovery was first reported to the Environmental Protection Agency on March 9 by an anonymous tip, who spotted the animals while searching for antlers in a nearby forest. Some remains were partially submerged in swampy areas near the deer’s feeding site.

Farmer Vidmantas Kavaliauskas, who has raised deer for 20 years, claimed the herd had been cared for and suggested a personal enemy may have poisoned them. He initially promised to file a police report but never did, according to Artūras Šliavas, head of communications for the Šiaulių County Police Commissariat. Without a complaint, no investigation was launched.

Inspectors from the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) and the Environmental Protection Agency found that Kavaliauskas had failed to log the deaths in mandatory records, which require weekly updates on herd numbers and losses. The last recorded entry dated to December of the previous year. While violations typically carry fines of €80–700, Kavaliauskas received only a warning as a first-time offender.

Gediminas Cinkutis, head of the agency’s wildlife protection division, stated the farm will now face annual inspections—up from the standard three-year interval—due to the recorded violation. The property, located in the remote village of Švendriai, had not been previously flagged for irregularities.