Wild Animals - According to wolf sightings: ministry informs citizens
After several confirmed wolf sightings in Saarland, the state government is now focusing on information and clarification. Environmental Minister Petra Berg (SPD) announced a public meeting in the community of Heusweiler for next week. In the township of Eiweiler, a motorist had filmed a Wolf running along a street and trying to find a way out of the area in the past week. The Lupus Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research confirmed this animal as a C1 detection, according to the ministry. The ministry now intends to inform experts about this case and also show behavioral measures.
"He's getting closer, but we still have no indication that a pack is forming here," said Berg. In reality, a wolf needs a very large, contiguous area to become resident, but the Saarland landscape is heavily fragmented by highways and roads. "Calm" she was, however, when asked. "I'm very alert." In her opinion, one must learn how to deal with the wolf, which we have only known from neighboring federal states so far. "There's no reason to worry, but it's a wild animal," said Berg.
Sheep protection consultation for livestock keepers planned
The concerns of livestock keepers, especially sheep and goat keepers, are taken seriously. Nature wardens are on call for consultation, and in the fall, a sheep protection consultation is planned, during which the keepers will be informed about the construction of fences. In consultation with many participants of a round table, it is currently being tested whether a so-called prevention area should be designated in Saarland. This would create a different funding framework for corresponding measures such as fences and guard dogs. According to the latest experiences, however, the Wolf Management Plan of the state should also be adapted.
According to the ministry, there is a general assumption that wolves are present throughout Saarland. The probability of an encounter is still, despite the now three confirmed C1 detections (previously in June in Ormesheim and in September 2023 in Bliesransbach), relatively low.
In the estimation of wolf experts, Saarland, due to its high settlement and traffic density, is not a predestined wolf country. Only when Germany is extensively colonized by wolves in the next decades will the increased population pressure from the outside lead to a sustained settlement.
There was probably no great unrest or even panic in the population after the latest incident in Eiweiler, at least there were no inquiries to the ministry. "We always have concerned inquiries or people reporting incidents to us," explained Berg, "but nothing has happened beyond the usual."
Wolf Management Plan Saarland LUPUS-Institut for Wolf Monitoring and Research
- The Saarland government, in collaboration with the LUPUS-Institut for Wolf Monitoring and Research, is currently studying the ecology of wolves in the region, aiming to better understand their behavior and needs.
- Despite the confirmation of three C1 wolf detections in Saarland, including the recent one in Eiweiler, the SPD-led government in Saarbrücken reassures citizens that the risk of an encounter remains relatively low.
- As part of their Wolf Management Plan, the government of Saarland is considering designating a prevention area, with the aim of providing additional funding for measures such as fences and guard dogs to protect livestock.
- Environmental Minister Petra Berg, while acknowledging the presence of wolves in Saarland, emphasizes the importance of coexistence with these wild animals, stressing that they are a natural part of Germany's ecology, especially as the country sees an expected increase in wolf population in the coming decades.
