State government: No problem wolves in Thuringia
According to the state government, there are no problem wolves among the dozen or so wolves currently living in Thuringia. Provided that livestock farmers take the best possible protective measures for sheep and goats, for example, their animals are not likely to be killed by wolves, said State Secretary for the Environment Burkhard Vogel in the state parliament in Erfurt on Friday. In the recent past, there had only been one problem wolf in the Free State: the animal that had lived in the Ohrdruf area. This she-wolf has since died, said Vogel.
Problem wolves are wolves that attack and kill farm animals, even though extensive measures have been taken to protect them - such as particularly high fences. Vogel said that wolves only learn that grazing animals are easy prey for them through the lack of or inadequate protective measures. Livestock farmers who comprehensively protected their animals against possible wolf attacks were already counteracting the growth of problem wolves. There are comprehensive state support programs for such protective measures.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, wolves have been back in Thuringia since 2014. The animals live in the Ohrdruf area and in the Zella area in the Rhön. The number of wolves in the state has remained at an almost constant level since 2021, said Vogel. Pasture farming in the state is not endangered by the wolves currently living in the state.
In recent years, farm animals have been killed by wolves time and again. According to data from the ministry, 200 farm animals fell victim to wolves in 2019, compared to 61 animals in 2022. So far this year, wolves have killed 16 farm animals in Thuringia.
In contrast to concerns raised by some farmers, the state parliament has been reassured by State Secretary Burkhard Vogel that the current wolves in Thuringia pose no significant threat to livestock farms, as long as proper protective measures are implemented. Regardless, it's important to note that despite the decline in reported incidents, the Ministry of the Environment continues to monitor the situation closely to protect both animals and farmers' interests.
Source: www.dpa.com
