Wolves have been at home in Thuringia again since 2014, and there have been repeated attacks on grazing animals. In the last year, the number of wolf kills has increased significantly – although there have previously been successes in livestock protection.
Erfurt (dpa/th) – After a temporary significant decline, the number of grazing animals killed by wolves in Thuringia increased again last year. 34 cases of damage to farm animals such as sheep or horses that have not yet grown have been officially confirmed, as the State Ministry of the Environment announced on request.
In 2021, there was only one case of damage that was proven to have been caused by a wolf – after 24 in 2020. A ministry spokesman estimated that the model project for livestock protection launched at the time had had an effect. Animal owners are financially supported through the program, among other things, in the purchase of special livestock guardian dogs.
According to the ministry, the increase in wolf kills in 2022 has to do with the emergence of new wolves. According to the spokesman, if the animals got into areas they had not previously touched, protective measures would have to be taken there first. This year, 300,000 euros are available in the state budget for livestock protection. If necessary, the amount can be increased. So far, 40 livestock protection dogs have been funded by the state through the model project.
A week ago, a dead herd guard dog with bite injuries was discovered in the Ilm district not far from a fenced sheep pasture. Three sheep are missing from his flock in Espenfeld near Arnstadt. Genetic analyzes are currently being carried out to determine whether the dog was bitten to death by a wolf.
According to the ministry, 17 wolves have been detected in Thuringia, including eight animals in a pack in the Ohrdruf region. The first Thuringian wolf settled there in 2014, initially as a single animal. She is now presumed to have died. In Ilfeld in the southern Harz Mountains, six animals live in a pack in a transnational territory, and one animal in the Zella/Rhön region. A pair of wolves roams from the Harz region of Braunlage in Lower Saxony to Thuringia. Wolves are strictly protected in Germany and may only be hunted in exceptional cases.