Green
Federal Environment Minister Lemke wants to make it easier to kill wolves – in certain cases
The federal government is discussing – as the FDP calls it – “contemporary handling of wolves”
© Julian Stratenschulte / DPA
Animal protection versus protection of grazing animals – Germany has been discussing for some time how to deal with wolves, an animal species that is actually protected by the EU. Now Environment Minister Steffi Lemke wants to facilitate their launch.
However, the implementation is complicated: In Germany, the federal states are responsible for wolf management. To date, wolves have enjoyed a high level of protection under both federal and EU law. In some regions, however, there are doubts as to whether the protection status is still justified due to larger populations.
Germany has been discussing how to deal with wolves for some time
At the end of July, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) was also open to lowering the strict protection status of the wolf. “It’s true that the endangered species must be protected. But if the species is no longer endangered in certain regions, we have to deal with the wolf differently and hunt it, for example,” she said. It is true that the protection of wolves is regulated under international law and this is based on the figures presented on the development of the wolf population. However, the reality of life of the local people must also be taken into account.
Especially in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony, the wolf, which was wiped out in Germany in the middle of the 19th century, has spread again since its return around the turn of the millennium. It happens again and again that wolves also kill farm animals such as sheep, goats and calves. With reference to the wolf monitoring 2021/2022, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation puts the number of wolves detected in Germany at around 1200. The animals lived accordingly in 161 herds. There were also 43 pairs of wolves and 21 sedentary solitary wolves. Previous wolf shootings, such as in March in Brandenburg, have been sharply criticized by many animal welfare and environmental organizations.
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Here you will find everything you need to know about wolves – and tips on how to behave if you happen to meet one
According to the federal documentation and advice center for wolves (DBBW), an average of 3.8 animals were killed per wolf attack in 2022. Of the farm animals killed or injured by wolves in Germany in 2022, 88.6 percent were sheep and goats, 4.2 percent were wild game and 6 percent were cattle (mostly calves). The number of injured or killed farm animals was less than 500 in 2014; according to the DBBW, it will be over 4,000 in 2022.