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Wolf alarm in Oberallgäu: Farmers bring animals to safety!
A wolf sighting in Oberallgäu is causing a stir: farmers are bringing their animals to safety while official confirmation from the authorities is pending.
Wolf alarm in Oberallgäu: Farmers bring animals to safety!
What's going on in Oberallgäu? In the evening on Thursday, a farmer in northern Oberallgäu discovered a wolf in a field around 7 p.m., as Bild.de reports. The animal visitor didn't need to be asked for long and quickly fled from the farmer's tractor, who immediately took photos and a video. The news spread like wildfire throughout the region and many farmers immediately moved their animals from the pastures to safe stables.
Although initial reports confirmed the suspicion of a wolf threat, there have been no official confirmations of cunning animals. Barbara Oswald, wolf representative of the Alpine Economic Association in the Allgäu, explains that the situation is currently confusing. There are currently two cattle cracks in the Allgäu that are still being investigated, but a wolf crack in a cattle in Ostallgäu was already detected in May.
Official confirmation
The State Office for the Environment (LfU) has officially confirmed the sighting of the wolf after it was captured by a wildlife camera in the Sunheads area at the beginning of September Merkur.de reports. The authorities advise dog owners to keep their four-legged friends on a leash to avoid conflicts. Wolves normally avoid contact with humans and can be scared away by loud noises such as shouting or clapping their hands during unpleasant encounters.
But the dangers should not be underestimated. Oswald warned that the wolves moving from Eastern Europe to the Italian Alpine region could pose a serious threat to grazing animals such as sheep, goats, cattle and fallow deer. Wolves have been spreading again in Germany since 1998. Although their return can help regulate wild animal populations, unfortunately damage to farm animals also often occurs.
The challenges for agriculture
The number of livestock killed by wolves has increased significantly in areas with wolf presence in recent years. In the monitoring year 2023/2024, a total of 1,268 attacks were counted with 5,727 animals damaged, of which 4,957 were sheep. Sheep and goat farmers therefore have to increasingly deal with herd protection measures. Although these are helpful, they often do not help prevent all damage. Herd protection dogs and electric fences are some of the measures that can be taken - but these are expensive and cannot be implemented everywhere.
Stefan Köhler, environmental president of the Bavarian Farmers' Association, is clear: new rules must be drawn up when dealing with wolves. He demands that the wolf be included in the Federal Hunting Act and the Bavarian Hunting Act. Since the end of 2023, conspicuous wolves that overcome herd protection measures and prey on livestock may be shot without DNA analysis for up to three weeks after the incident. A topic that stirs emotions in the region and inspires an urgent need for action.
Even if the return of wolves in Germany has some positive effects, farmers face major challenges. The topic should not be taken lightly. How the situation develops remains to be seen - farmers will still need a good hand in animal husbandry.