The wolf in the Altmühltal, which repeatedly killed sheep in the summer, must not be shot. The government of Upper Bavaria has now decided this and has thus rejected the application by the Bavarian Farmers’ Association (BBV) to be shot down. A spokesman for the district government said the reason was that the sheep that fell victim to the cracks were mostly without effective herd protection. “Since it was therefore to be assumed that suitable and reasonable alternatives to killing existed to avoid livestock injuries, the granting of an exemption was not an option,” said the spokesman. Regardless, he pointed out that no wolf attacks have been documented since August 22nd.
A wolf pack with seven cubs established itself in the Altmühltal this early summer. The vixen settled in the region more than three years ago. Since then, the Altmühltal has been officially listed as a wolf region. Owners of sheep and other grazing animals were repeatedly asked to protect their flocks from attacks. The male dog was detected a year ago. The female and the male were inconspicuous for a long time. Since they had young, however, there have been repeated attacks in which sheep, a goat and wild animals were killed. Demands soon began to circulate among the farmers that at least the male dog should be shot.
In its rejection notice, the district government points out that wolves are particularly strictly protected and it is forbidden to kill them. An exception is only possible in very limited cases. So-called serious economic damage, which can include damage to livestock, could justify this. But a further requirement is that “reasonable alternatives to killing are out of the question”. According to the state government’s Wolf action plan, these included herd protection measures, in particular electric pasture protection fences. In the case of the livestock cracks listed in the shooting application, such herd protection was “largely” not present. From the outset, experts gave the application for the shooting no chance of success. It is reported from the Altmühltal that the pack is still completely on the move.