A Saarloos wolfhound is seen during the Hund and Katz exhibition in Dortmund, Germany, on May 19, 2019. The three-day event hosted by German Kennel Club, presents dogs and cats of more than 200 breeds from around the world. (Photo: Xinhua)

A pregnant Frenchwoman who died while walking in the woods during a deer hunt was killed by her partner's dog and not the hunting hounds, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Elisa Pilarski, 29, lost her life while out walking her partner's pitbull Curtis in Retz forest northeast of Paris in November 2019. She was six months pregnant at the time. 

The mysterious circumstances of the case sparked huge interest in France and became a cause latched on to by pro- and anti-hunting advocates.

A post-mortem showed that Pilarski died of bleeding after several dog bites to the upper and lower limbs and the head.

Suspicion initially fell on the hunting hounds, but DNA tests and veterinary examinations showed the "sole involvement" of her partner's dog Curtis in the attack, Amiens prosecutor said.

A source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the pitbull's DNA was found on Pilarski's dog bites and that her DNA was also found on his leash.

AFP