Wolves threaten to do so: Chamber of Agriculture demands quick action!

Wolves threaten to do so: Chamber of Agriculture demands quick action!

Last weekend, four dead sheep were found on the Alpe Alpila above Thuringianberg, which led to an outcry among the animal owners. The suspicion falls on a wolf as a possible cause of the incident. Chamber of Agriculture President Josef Moosbrugger calls for quick and effective measures to avoid such incidents in the future. He describes the long waiting period for expert opinions and assessments to shoot a wolf classified as defective. It is unacceptable that these procedures take days, while the problems are direct in nature.

Moosbrugger points out that the wolf's protection status has already been reduced, which enables the rapid removal of pollutants. The bureaucratic hurdles that conflict with a quick reaction are sharply criticized. "Wolves must be preventive, especially in intensively used landscape areas and pasture areas," demands Moosbrugger to prevent shepherds and their animals from these regions.

wolves in Germany and their effects

The return of the wolves to Germany, who have been experiencing their return since 1998, brings numerous challenges for livestock farming. Current statistics show that there were a total of 209 wolf packs and 46 wolf paars in the monitoring year 2023/2024, most of which live in the federal states of Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Wolves have now spread all over Germany again after they were exterminated for almost 150 years when a wolf couple settled in Saxony in 1998.

The damage caused by wolves have increased significantly. A total of 1,268 attacks were registered in 2023, in which 5,727 animals, including 4,957 sheep, were harmed. In 2023, more than 100 attacks on farm animals occurred at least twelve times. Nine years earlier there were only 125 attacks with a total of 377 damaged animals.

herd protection and prevention measures

In order to counteract the problem, herd protection measures are essential. According to the NABU, wolves are dependent on wild animals in over 95 percent of cases, but are easier to attack unprotected pasture animals. The use of herd protection dogs and electrical fences can help reduce the number of attacks, but these measures are often expensive. The state government supports animal owners in the purchase of such protective measures, but the grants vary depending on the federal state.

An effective herd protection system must be used preventively and designed optimally. The installation of suitable fences that are supplied with electricity is a central component. These have to extend to the ground and should be attached at a height of at least 90 to 120 cm to deter wolves. In addition, the early training of herd protection dogs that are able to defend the territory of their herd.

The currently applicable regulations on the damage compensation for wolf attacks are inconsistent and require an investigation by crack experts before compensation payments are made. The German Farmers' Association calls for a hunting regulation of wolves to secure pasture and to avoid a disastrous decline in sheep farming.

Overall, the current situation requires quick action by those responsible. Without suitable measures, it should be increasingly difficult for shepherds and their animals to stay in the affected regions and to maintain pasture animals.