Wolves in Carinthia: Two new packs are causing excitement and discussion!

Wolves in Carinthia: Two new packs are causing excitement and discussion!

The wolf population in Europe has almost doubled in the last ten years: from around 12,000 to over 21,500 animals. This alarming increase is attributed to strict protection of wolves within the EU, which also has noticeable effects in Austria. According to statements by exxpress.at The number of genetically proven wolves in Austria increased from 8 in 2015 to 104 in 2023. This emerges from a recent study that analyzed data from 34 countries.

In Austria, the development of the wolf population was closely monitored by the responsible authorities. In the last two years there have been a total of 16 officially approved killings of wolves, reigniting the debate about the management of this species. In December 2024, the protection of wolves was slightly relaxed, which received a positive response from both farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture.

New packs and sightings

The reports of new wolf sightings in Carinthia are particularly striking. In 2024, two new packs were documented by wildlife cameras: one at Lake Wolayer and the other in the Koschuta area of ​​the Karawanken. A third, already known pack in the East Tyrolean border area was also detected again. Martin Balluch, animal rights activist and critic of current politics, describes the formation of these new packs as a success and calls for comprehensive wolf monitoring. He also sharply criticizes the responsibility of a hunter for nature conservation in Carinthia.

The increase in the wolf population is not only evident in Carinthia, but also in the Waldviertel in Lower Austria, where four wolf packs with confirmed offspring now live. These changes are part of a broader repopulation story that has taken place over the past 30 years. Before the wolf was wiped out in Western Europe in the 19th century, it was widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The last wolf was shot in Austria in 1882.

Challenges and perspectives

The increase in the wolf population represents not only an opportunity but also a challenge. Farmers complain about damage caused by wolves as they increasingly appear in urban areas. An example of this is a wolf with the identifier 304 MATK, which was spotted in Kaltenleutbaren in November 2023 after killing several sheep.

However, the recolonization of wolves in Austria is not without setbacks. Loud WWF There were between two and seven confirmed wolves per year between 2009 and 2015, before wolf offspring were recorded again for the first time in 2016. The wolf has spread more slowly in the last 20 years than in other European countries such as Germany or Switzerland. Nevertheless, the current figures represent a significant success for nature conservation.

Loud baer-wolf-luchs.at The spread of wolves in Europe is also due to various factors, including the return of forests and changes in agriculture. Wolves are able to migrate long distances and can reach areas over 1,000 kilometers from their source population. The origins of the recolonization of wolves in Austria date back to the period between 2009 and 2015, and the first pack formation began in Allentsteig in 2016.

In summary, it is clear that the wolf in Europe and especially in Austria must be viewed as both a successful nature conservation project and a challenge for agriculture. The need for stable management and effective monitoring is therefore undisputed.