Wolf in East Tyrol shot to sheep tears - quick action necessary!

Wolf in East Tyrol shot to sheep tears - quick action necessary!

In East Tyrol, a wolf's fatal shot caused a sensation after several risks were reported in the region. Deputy Governor Josef Geisler (ÖVP) expressed the urgent need for action on June 6, 2025. According to Kleine Zeitung, three dead sheep were discovered near settlements, whose death was brought back to Wolf attacks. A wolf that was identified as the cause was therefore killed and handed over to the agency for health and nutritional security (AGES).

The shooting regulation in the Imst district, which came into force due to the incidents, remains for a period of eight weeks. Geisler thanked the East Tyrolean hunters for their quick action. The regulation is intended to compensate for the protection of farm animals and the preservation of the wolf population.

crack statistics and developments

The annualized data on livestock cracks show a complex picture. According to the [Austrian Center Bär, Wolf, Luchs] (https://baer-wolf-luchs.at/monitoring/riss numbers), an increase in the wolf population was found last year, with 102 recognized individuals throughout Austria. Nine packs have been proven, with four of them being occupied by offspring. Despite the increase in the wolf population, a remarkable decline in the livestock cracks, especially for sheep and goats.

The figures for 2024 show that 304 sheep and goats were killed by wolves, while the total losses decreased compared to previous years. The development shows that traditional victims, especially sheep, are still the main target group of the wolves, followed by goats, while cattle and horses are less affected. In 2023 there were 460 sheep and 20 cattle that fell victim to the wolf.

Current challenges and management

In the current status report by [KURIER] (https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/woelfe-oesterreich-risse-nutztiere report/402937958), a total of 104 wolves in Austria were counted in 2023, which represents an increase of 24 compared to the previous year. The proven wolf packs amount to six and are widespread in several federal states, especially in Carinthia and East Tyrol. In the years 2022 and 2023, a decline in cracks was recorded by almost 37%, which gives hope for a positive development in the conflict between wolf and livestock farming.

In recent years there have always been discussions about the protection of wolves versus the protection of farm animals. The management of animal populations remains a central challenge, whereby the reports on the monitoring of the cracks prove to be essential for the future strategy. In addition, compensation for the owners of farm animals that were damaged by predators are granted on goodwill base, which can bring additional complications.

The topic of wolf and livestock farming in Austria remains exciting in view of the increasing wolf numbers and the crack -related losses and demands an active participation from both politics and nature conservation organizations.