Animals - Number of wolves in Saxony-Anhalt continues to rise, but fewer kills
Although the number of wolves in Saxony-Anhalt has increased again, fewer attacks on grazing animals have been reported. This is according to the wolf monitoring report, which was presented in Magdeburg on Monday. According to the report, the number of wolves in the state's 35 territories rose from 187 to 201, including 36 animals living in cross-border areas.
The period from May 2022 to April 2023 was considered. A total of 27 wolf packs were recorded, an increase of three packs compared to the previous period. Saxony-Anhalt is one of the federal states with a comparatively high wolf population.
"We are seeing an interesting trend in litter size," said Sandra Hagel, President of the State Office for Environmental Protection. "There was a dip in 2015, since then a pack has been rearing fewer than four pups a year." In the early days, up to eight pups were counted, compared to 3.5 in the previous year.
At the same time, the number of reported attacks on grazing animals fell from 75 in the previous year to 59. The decline in the number of animals killed was even greater. While there were 294 in the previous year, 176 were counted in 2022/23. This is the lowest level in five years. In the past, the peak number of animals killed was just under 400. However, only the reported cases are listed here, according to Sandra Hagel. She attributed the development to the fact that the state has been promoting herd protection measures since 2019 and that these are being implemented more frequently.
To date, the state has provided 100% funding for the purchase and maintenance of fences and the cost of feeding livestock guarding dogs. According to the information provided, a total of 460,000 euros was made available for this in the reporting period. "We are seeing that large livestock owners in particular are paying consistent attention to livestock protection and are recording significantly fewer attacks there," says Sandra Hagel.
Environment Minister Armin Willingmann (SPD) also sees wolf attacks primarily as a problem for smaller livestock farmers with few animals. Herd protection is often too costly for them. Against the background of the visible decline in attacks, the SPD politician is critical of the cuts in livestock protection announced by Agriculture Minister Sven Schulze (CDU). From next year, the ministry only wants to fund 80 percent of the measures.
Willingmann is positive about the fact that the environment ministers from the federal and state governments agreed on a fast-track shooting regulation last week. He sees this as a balance of interests between livestock farmers and nature conservation. This means that wolves can be shot more quickly and unbureaucratically in regions with an increased incidence of predators. Previously, a DNA test was required for this. This will no longer be necessary in future.
Wolves within a radius of 1000 meters of the pasture in question can be shot within 21 days. "This is a first sensible step", said Willingmann. "For livestock farmers, the wolf is sometimes a threat. We need an effective instrument in places where they frequently prey on livestock and overrun herd protection." Together with other wolf-rich states, Saxony-Anhalt now wants to draw up a wolf ordinance.
Willingmann sees the rapid shooting regulation as a solution to prevent the illegal killing of wolves. Permission will be granted by the State Office for the Environment. Last year, 14 wolves were found dead. Most of them died in traffic accidents, one wolf was killed illegally. The police have opened an investigation into this case, as it is a criminal offense.
Wolf monitoring report
Read also:
- Armin Willingmann, the Environment Minister from Saxony-Anhalt's SPD party, expressed concern about the announced cuts in livestock protection funding by Agriculture Minister Sven Schulze from the CDU, stating that it could be too costly for smaller livestock farmers with few animals.
- The SPD politician Willingmann welcomed the recent agreement between environment and agriculture ministers from the federal and state governments on a fast-track shooting regulation for wolves, which he believes will strike a balance between the needs of livestock farmers and nature conservation.
- According to the wolf monitoring report presented in Magdeburg, the number of wolves in Saxony-Anhalt increased from 187 to 201, with 36 living in cross-border areas, and only 59 reported attacks on grazing animals were recorded in the period from May 2022 to April 2023, a significant drop from the previous year's 176.
- In response to the increasing number of wolves and fewer attacks on grazing animals, the state of Saxony-Anhalt has been providing 100% funding for the purchase and maintenance of fences and the cost of feeding livestock guarding dogs, with a total of 460,000 euros available in the reporting period.
- Sandra Hagel, President of the State Office for Environmental Protection in Magdeburg, highlighted an interesting trend in litter size, with packs rearing fewer than four pups a year, a dip from previous years, and attributed the decline in attacks on grazing animals to the state's promotion of herd protection measures since 2019.
Source: www.stern.de
