Our German neighbours recently approved the proposal to include the wolf in hunting legislation. Since then, it has been possible in principle to hunt wolves under certain conditions (where the wolf is no longer “strictly protected”, but has a lower protection status).
Data speak of about 290 packs and a total number of 4300 animals. Many wolf packs live spread over different regions, which means that the population has clearly increased in recent years.
The approval of the amendment to the law came after repeated incidents with sheep and goats, despite protective measures such as fencing and guard dogs. Farmers and agriculturists no longer felt safe and insisted on more opportunities to protect livestock.
Proponents see this change as a practical solution — because the new status offers more flexibility to respond to conflicts between wolves and livestock at the local level.
Opponents warn, however, that there is no clear scientific basis for regular culling. According to Deutscher Tierschutzbund, the wolf population in Germany has recently stabilised, and they point out that hunting does not solve the underlying problems — lack of fencing, unsafe livestock or careless land use practices.
Sources:
[www.lechasseurfrancais.com]
[ https://www.tierschutzbund.de/]
