A poacher is taken to court after being caught shooting a Turtle Dove illegally in Gozo shortly after the season closes, according to the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU). MRU reports that it detects the person using a shotgun that has been illegally modified.
The shooting happens hours after the Turtle Dove season ends on Monday. Malta Today says the incident is spotted in the hours following the closure, while Gozo News reports the poacher is caught about four hours after the season was closed. Both outlets attribute the arrest to MRU patrol activity and both describe the use of an illegally modified shotgun.
While the outlets focus on the same core facts—MRU detection, the timing after the closure, and the modified firearm—they differ mainly in the specific phrasing of the timeline and the emphasis on the courtroom process. Both accounts indicate the matter proceeds through the legal system following MRU intervention.
