A wolf pack is a wolf family, which usually consists of the parents, the pups and the offspring from the previous year (yearlings). Additionally, sometimes older offspring or grandparents live in the pack. Under certain circumstances, two females (e.g. mother and daughter) can reproduce and/or two males are the fathers of the pups.

Pack size is usually between 5 and 10 animals, but it changes within the range of the year and between years. Family size increases through birth of the pups in April/May and it decreases through dispersing individuals or cases of death. Therefore, the same wolf family can comprise 10-15 individuals at one time, and only 3-4 individuals at a different time.

A territory is the home range of adult wolves, which they mark and defend against other wolves (apart from wolves that are potential partners for starting a family). Wolves mark their territory through scent marks (scats, urine), visual marks (scats) and howling. In this way, unknown, migrating wolves as well as neighbouring packs receive the signal that the territory is taken.

Territory size is mainly dependent on prey density (number of prey animals per area unit). It has to have a size large enough that the number of prey animals is sufficient to feed the pack in the long term. If this is not the case, raising the pups is not or only partially successful. The higher the prey animal density, the smaller the territory can be. In Central Europe, territory sizes are about 100-350 km². In areas with very low prey animal densities, like in northern Siberia and northern Canada, but partly also in Scandinavia, territory sizes of more than 1,000 km² have been identified.

In wolf populations, new packs are founded constantly through young wolves leaving their parental territory and founding their own families with a partner. Many wolves migrate only 50-100 km and use the next free space available. Others are long-distance dispersers and walk impressive distances from Saxony to Belarus or northern Denmark or from Saxony-Anhalt to Austria. These migrations can be documented through genetic analyses and GPS-GSM-based telemetry. Some young wolves (in Germany especially daughters) take over the whole or parts of the parental territory when the parents grow old or one of them dies.

Wolves can fall sick with the same diseases and be infested with the same parasites like dogs. Equally, some diseases are dangerous for humans (rabies and fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis) and some are not.

Rabies: Germany has been considered rabies-free since 2008. Therefore, this disease does not pose a threat at the moment. Despite this, wildlife like wolves and foxes, but also raccoons and raccoon dogs are further monitored in order to identify and fight a potential re-introduction.

Fox tapeworm: The fox tapeworm is an endoparasite for which the fox can be the final host. Through infected scats, the tapeworm can be passed on to humans. Humans are false intermittent hosts and can become diseased with alveolar Echinoccoccosis, which can be life-threatening under certain circumstances. However, the number of infections in humans are very low. The main area of distribution of fox tapeworms are the Swabian Alps, the Alb-Donau region and the Allgäu. In these areas, the infection rate of foxes is 50 to 100%. North of this region, less than 5% are infected with E. multilocularis.

Sarcoptic mange, canine distemper, parvovirosis and Aujeszky’s disease (pseudorabies) are not dangerous for humans.

Sarcoptic mange: Sarcoptic mange is an ectoparasitosis caused by scabies mites. The disease is usually passed on through direct body contact. Strong itching that goes along with inflammatory reactions and secondary bacterial infections of the skin cause loss of hair and skin sloughing. The fur condition of infested animals is bad, as the continuous scratching causes bald patches in different body regions, such as back and tail. In the advances stage, infested animals can show a slower flight behaviour, but they are not aggressive towards humans. Sarcoptic mange is highly infectious for other carnivores. Sarcoptic mange outbreaks can lead to significantly higher mortality rates in a wolf population, especially among the pups. Animals with a strong immune system can heal up the disease completely, even when their infestation is massive. Sarcoptic mange is very frequent in foxes and raccoon dogs and is also passed on to other species by them. Infection of domestic animals is possible, but can be cured easily. In rare cases, humans can catch the disease, which leads to a pseudo form of sarcoptic mange that generally heals up without any medical treatment.

Canine distemper: The canine distemper virus is mainly carried by dogs and is rare in wolves. The disease is usually passed on through direct body contact, secretions and excrements. High fever and fatigue are typical symptoms. Depending on the infected organ system, diarrhoea and vomiting or airway symptoms can occur. At later stages, brain damage and malfunction of the central nervous system are possible. As most dogs in Germany are vaccinated against canine distemper, passing on of the disease from dogs to wolves is unlikely. However, canine distemper epidemics like the ones that can be observed in fox populations, are dangerous for infected animals, especially for young ones. According to surveys in the Yellowstone National Park, canine distemper epidemics can cause pup mortality rates of up to 68%. Humans are not susceptible for canine distemper infections.

Parvovirosis: The canine parvovirus is distributed through excrements of infected animals and can be passed on from these through insects as well. In the cause of the disease, strong vomiting and diarrhoea through to lethal dehydration can occur, depending on the age and condition of the infected animal. A canine parvovirus infection that was imported through dogs to Isle Royale (U.S.A.) in the early 1990ies caused a collapse of the local wolf population. Most dogs in Germany are vaccinated against the parvovirus. Like with the canine distemper, passing on of the disease from dogs to wolves is unlikely. The virus cannot be passed on to humans.

Pseudorabies: The pseudorabies or Aujeszky’s disease is a virus infection, and the pathogen belongs to the herpes family. The infection is lethal in almost all mammals. Humans, other primates and horses are not susceptible for pseudorabies. Infection occurs through the contact with wild boars or domestic pigs, which carry the virus for the rest of their lives after infection. There is no risk of infection through other carnivores like wolves, as these animals do not excrete the pathogen. Therefore, passing on of the disease is not possible from wolf to wolf or from wolf to dog. Quickly after infection, brain and medulla inflammations occur along with malfunction of the central nervous system. In cattle and dogs, strong itching is additionally found. The infection then leads to the death of the animal. It is an animal disease that has to be reported to the authorities. Germany has been pseudorabies-free since 2003 in domestic pigs, however, the disease rate is increasing in wild boars again. This trend is the same in other European countries. Infected wolves and dogs die quickly after occurrence of the symptoms (1-2 days).

Yes, the domestic dog does originate from the wolf (Canis lupus) - it is the domesticated form of the wolf. This has been clearly confirmed through genetic analyses. For a long time it had been assumed that golden jackal, fox, hyena, coyote and polar fox are also potential originators of domestic dogs, however, this hypothesis has been falsified.

It has never been clearly identified when domestication took place. Studies conclude that it took place 10,000-15,000 or 18,000-23,000 years ago. The wolf is the first animal that has been domesticated by humans, even before cows, sheep or horses. It is very likely that the process has started south of the Yangtze in China. It is assumed that the reason for the domestication process is that wolves and humans claimed the same prey - large herbivores. Possibly, hunts took place in cooperation between humans and wolves. In this way, the relationship became increasingly intense with humans and wolves finally sharing fire place and home.

Yes, wolves and domestic dogs can breed and produce fertile offspring.

However, dogs have been shaped for human needs in the process of domestication, so that they are different from their wild ancestors in many characteristics. They become sexually mature earlier but stay juvenile in terms of their behaviour for very long, i.e. they let themselves be trained by humans and accept a subordinate role. We have bred them in a way that the caution that is typical for wolves has been lost and many physical attributes have been gained, which makes them different from wolves. Many of these attributes reduce the survival capability of dogs in the wild. Therefore, dog genes intruding the wolf gene pool can have a negative impact. The smaller the affected population, the stronger the effect even with rare hybridisation events. You can find further information regarding hybrids and information on how to deal with them under “Wolf management”.

In Germany, there was one confirmed case of hybridisation between a female wolf and a domestic dog in Saxony (near Neustadt/Spree) in 2003 and one in Thuringia (near Ohrdruf) in 2017. In 2019, the female wolf in Ohrdruf (Thuringia) mated with her son that was born in 2017, so that she gave birth to hybrid pups once more (first backcross generation). There was an additional case of hybridisation between a female wolf and a male dog in the Czech Republic near the German border (Schluckenauer Zipfel) in 2016. In all cases, removal of the hybrids from the wild was decreed.

Wolves in Germany are genetically monitored on a routine basis. Much more than 3,000 putative wolf samples yearly are genetically analysed in a stepwise process at the national reference centre for wolf and lynx genetics at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Research Station Gelnhausen. First, each samples is tested regarding the quantity of available DNA. When there is enough DNA available for genetic analysis, a section of the mitochondrial control region is analysed, which allows for identification of the maternal lineage. This procedure makes it possible to identify the species even from samples with little DNA and gives information regarding assignment to populations (identification of haplotypes). However, it is not suitable to identify the degree of hybridisation. The following step aims at detecting the individual genetic fingerprint from microsatellite analysis of the nuclear DNA. The DNA profile allows for kinship analysis (identification of the pack where the individual originated from, when the pack has been identified before, assignment of offspring) as well as identification of hybridisation events. The latter is additionally checked through so called SNP analyses, which have been developed for identifying hybridisation up to the third generation (= second backcross generation).

Against this background, it is unlikely that further, undetected cases of hybridisation have taken place in Germany.

Wolves in the wild usually do not pose a threat to humans. Wolves are very cautious animals that generally avoid contact with humans. To put it simply, they are just not interested in humans, as they neither categorise us as prey, nor as conspecifics. During an encounter with humans it is possible that they first assess the situation before drawing back or that they back out in a relaxed more than a panicky way. Pups possibly act more curious and naïve than adult animals.

Reports from attacks on humans from the last centuries can mainly be attributed to rabid wolves. Germany has been rabies-free since 2008 due to spreading of vaccine baits. Predatory attacks, i.e. cases in which wolves attacked humans to feed on them, are considered as extreme exceptions in historic records, too. Predatory wolf attacks are associated with very specific environmental conditions. This is possible in areas with heavily fragmented habitats, extremely low prey animal density and with wolves that feed on garbage. In this situation, children are vulnerable to attacks when they herd livestock in the forest. In today’s Europe, the risk that wolves learn such a behaviour is very low.

However, the instinctual caution shown by wolves towards humans can be reduced significantly when the animals are lured or provided with food. This can cause problematic behaviour.

As wolves usually recognise humans first and draw back directly, direct and coincidental encounters with humans that e.g. walk in the forest or collect mushrooms are very rare. Nevertheless, the possibility of direct encounters cannot be ruled out, for example when the wind conditions are unfavourable. It is much more likely to coincidentally see a wolf from the car, when it crosses the road.

In general, please stay calm when you see a wolf. Stop and keep your distance. Speak to the animal calmly in case it did not notice you yet. Memorise how the wolf looks like, before it disappears (probably quite fast) and report the sighting to the responsible authority in your federal state. Pictures are also useful, but please only photograph the animal without approaching or following it for a better picture.

If you feel uneasy about the situation, do not run away but back up slowly and speak loudly while doing so. In case the wolf does not walk away or, contrary to expectations, approaches you, stop, shout at the wolf and clap your hands. Try to intimidate the animal by straightening yourself and maybe throwing something at the wolf.

In areas where wolves occur, you should generally leash your dog. It can happen in rare cases that wolves are interested in dogs, as they categorise them as conspecifics. Wolves can react to dogs in different ways, depending on the situation. This can be neutral (in most cases), positive (dog is categorised as mating partner or playfellow) or negative (dog is categorised as competitor).

Even in the first two cases it is necessary that you keep your dog close by to make sure there is no direct interaction between wolf and dog. In case the wolf reacts negatively to your dog, you are the best protection for your dog. There is no danger for the dog, as long as you keep it close by. Should the wolf approach you despite this, shout and clap your hands to stress your presence. In most cases, the wolf will draw back as soon as it realises your presence.

Wolves are naturally cautious animals. Usually, they try to avoid potential hazards including humans. When a wolf is fed by a human, however, it is possible that it will associate humans with the receipt of food. This can lead to pushy and even bold behaviour, when food is no longer provided. Especially pups, that are more curious and naïve than adult wolves (like is the case with all young animals), can learn to find humans interesting through provision of food and approach them accordingly.

A wolf that actively turns to humans in search of food can be a source of danger. Therefore, luring or feeding wolves is prohibited.

The western branch of the Baltic Population, which extends to north-eastern Poland, is the source population of wolves in Germany and western Poland. Like in Germany, the wolf has been eradicated from central and western Poland. Only in the last 50 years, single individuals migrated to western Poland, some even as far as Germany. In the second half of the previous century, more than 40 wolves migrated from Poland to Germany. More than 30 of these were shot, more than ten were killed in car or train accidents.

Although the wolf has been protected by law in reunited Germany in 1990, several wolves have been shot in the 1990ies. Only in 1998, first hints were found that a pair of wolves pair might have established a territory on a military training area in north-eastern Saxony. Reproduction was confirmed two years later.

It took another five years until a second pack could establish. The reason for this slow development was that there were few wolves in western Poland as well, and the offspring from the first German pack did not find mating partners. This situation changed with the establishment of the second pack. From then on, offspring of the two packs could find mating partners and found new packs.

Germany and western/central Poland belong to the Central European Lowland Population (former German-Western-Polish Population). The distribution area of this population reaches from the Vistula in central Poland to Lower Saxony, the most western area with territorial wolves in Germany.

The founding animals carried the mitochondrial (i.e. maternally inherited) haplotype HW01, which is common in north-eastern Europe. Up to now, this is the most common haplotype in Germany. Haplotype HW02 is comparatively rare and had - until some years ago - been detected only in some male individuals that had emigrated from Poland. Only in the 2012/13 monitoring year, the first female wolf with that haplotype was detected in the Gartow pack. Later, daughters of that Gartow reproducing female established the Schneverdingen and Barnstorf pack (both in Lower Saxony) and passed on the haplotype.

In the last years, there have been several genetic detections of individuals in Germany that originated from the Alpine Population. These animals are distinguishable from the wolves from the Central European Lowland Population through their haplotype HW22, which is typical for the Italian and Alpine Population. However, they were not able to reproduce for a long time. This changed in the summer of 2017, when a wolf pair from two different populations raised pups in the Bavarian Forest for the first time. The male wolf originates from the Alpine Population and the female from the Central European Population.

Due to the wolf’s great potential for dispersal and adaptation, it is to be expected that migrating wolves can turn up everywhere in Germany, and that they settle down in areas with suitable habitats. Depending on the local conditions, this can lead to conflicts with land users, especially with livestock farmers and hunters. Immigration of wolves often cause fears and worries in the local population. For minimising conflicts and facilitating a coexistence with few conflicts between wolves and people, wolf management measures such as prevention, compensation of livestock damage, monitoring and public relations activities are necessary.

Yes, as the wolf is a markedly adaptable species. Wolves need sufficiently large prey populations (in central Europe mainly roe and red deer and wild boar) and undisturbed retreat areas (for the daytime, but mainly for raising offspring). Many areas in Germany fulfil these criteria and therefore seem to be suitable habitats for the wolf. The spatial distribution and the increase of the German wolf population during the last years confirm this.

However, the main dispersal direction is still from the Lusatia in eastern Germany towards north-western directions. Here, gaps in the occurrence area are filled step by step. Dispersal in western and southern directions occur significantly slower, for which the causes are unknown.

It remains to be seen in which areas with a denser human population wolves will establish permanently. At the same time, traffic accidents, illegal killing and diseases, as well as intraspecific conflicts pose a risk to wolves. Especially traffic accidents, that often affect young and migrating wolves, can slow down the dispersal of wolves within Germany.

The attitude of the public towards wolves more than the ecological conditions are relevant for the permanent establishment of wolves with few conflicts in our cultural landscape.

Eradication of prey animals through the wolf is not to be expected, as wolf territories are usually large enough so that they comprise enough prey in order to feed the pack in the long term. The yearly number of surviving pups is dependent on prey animal density and availability. When prey animal densities decrease, fewer pups reach adulthood, and the older offspring has to leave the parental territory earlier, as acceptance through the parents decreases. Additionally, competition with neighbouring packs increases, and there are more conflicts. Therefore, the way wolves live (in packs with distinct territoriality and dispersal of young wolves) prevents unbridled increase of the wolf density in a given area.

In contrast, specific human-made situations can lead to a strong decrease up to eradication of prey animals through wolves. In cases where ungulates have been introduced by humans in areas that do not match their habitat requirements in terms of predator avoidance, they can be helplessly exposed to predators. This is the case for mouflons, a wild sheep species that has been introduced in the 70ies. The mouflon needs steep cliffs in order to find protection from predators. In sandy, shallow areas, the mouflons cannot apply their specific anti-predator behaviour and are therefore easy prey for the wolf. Consequently, they do not occur any more in many areas that have been populated by wolves.

There is no reason to assume that predators and scavengers play a special role in the distribution of the ASF. Although a mechanical vector function (moving of viral cadaver parts, contamination of fur / feathers) cannot be excluded, the virus does not multiply in or at these animals, including the wolf. Even though the wolf migrates at longer distances, it is assumed that it does not carry food supplies to other locations and that it cleans potentially contaminated fur. The virus does not survive being digested.

The Friedrich-Löffler Institute (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health) has published an information sheet regarding further questions on the ASF:

https://www.openagrar.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/openagrar_derivate_00009612/FLI-Information_FAQ_ASP20170115.pdf

Baden-Wuerttemberg

Management

Ministerium für Umwelt, Klima und Energiewirtschaft, Kernerplatz 9, 70182 Stuttgart:

Julian Sandrini, email: Julian.Sandrini@um.bwl.de, Tel: 0711/126 2955

Sandra Schweizer, email: Sandra.Schweizer@um.bwl.de, Tel:  0711/126 2544

Monitoring

Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg, Abt. Wald und Gesellschaft, Wonnhalde 4, 79100 Freiburg

Felix Böcker, Tel.: 0761 / 4018 274, email: Felix.Boecker@forst.bwl.de

Dr. Micha Herdtfelder, Tel.: 0761 / 4018 274, email: Micha.Herdtfelder@forst.bwl.de

Livestock protection

Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg, Abt. Wald und Gesellschaft, Wonnhalde 4, 79100 Freiburg

Laura Huber-Eustachi, Tel.: 0761 / 4018 274, email: Laura.Huber-Eustachi@forst.bwl.de

Dr. Micha Herdtfelder, Tel.: 0761 / 4018 274, email: Micha.Herdtfelder@forst.bwl.de

 

Bavaria

Coordination, Monitoring

Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Referat 53 - Landschaftspflege, Wildtiermanagement, Hans-Högn-Straße 12, 95030 Hof/Saale, Tel.: 09281 / 1800 4640, email: wildtiermanagement@lfu.bayern.de

 

Berlin

Klemens Steiof, Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr und Klimaschutz, Tel.: 030 / 9025-1036, email: klemens.steiof@senuvk.berlin.de

Brandenburg

in the ministry:

Ekkehard Kluge, Ministerium für Ländliche Entwicklung, Umwelt und Landwirtschaft, Lindenstr. 34 A, 14467 Potsdam, Tel.: 0331 / 8667034, email: Ekkehard.Kluge@mlul.brandenburg.de

in the Landesamt für Umwelt:

Monitoring

Jens Teubner, Landesamt für Umwelt Brandenburg, Naturschutzstation Zippelsförde, Rägelsdorf 9, D-16827 Zippelsförde, Tel.: 033933/ 70816 /- 90173, email: jens.teubner@lfu.brandenburg.de

Management, Livestock protection

Verena Harms, Landesamt für Umwelt Brandenburg, Seeburger Chaussee 2, 14476 Potsdam, OT Groß Glienicke, Tel.: 033201/ 442 218, email: Verena.Harms@LfU.Brandenburg.de

Examination of livestock kills

Schadens-Hotline, Tel.: 0172 / 5641700

 

Bremen

Management

TBA, Der Senator für Umwelt, Bau und Verkehr, Referat 30 - Grünordnung, Schutzverordnungen, Ökologische Landwirtschaft, Forst und Jagd, Contrescarpe 72, 28195 Bremen, Tel.: 0421 / 361 - 2575, email:

Monitoring

Henrich Klugkist, Der Senator für Umwelt, Bau und Verkehr, Referat 31 - Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, Contrescarpe 72, 28195 Bremen, Tel.: 0421 / 361 - 6660, email: Henrich.Klugkist@umwelt.bremen.de

 

Hamburg

Management

Dr. Nina Klar, Behörde für Umwelt und Energie, Abteilung Naturschutz -Artenschutz, Neuenfelder Straße 19, 21109 Hamburg, Tel.: 040 / 428 40 2339, email: nina.klar@bue.hamburg.de

 

Hesse

Wolf hotline

Tel.: 0611 / 815 3999, email: wolf@umwelt.hessen.de

Monitoring

Susanne Jokisch, Hessisches Landesamt für Naturschutz, Umwelt und Geologie Abteilung N, Europastr. 10, D-35394 Gießen, Tel.: 0641 / 4991 315, email: Susanne.Jokisch@hlnug.hessen.de

 

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Monitoring, Examination of livestock kills

Kristin Zscheile, Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie, Abt. Naturschutz und Großschutzgebiete, Goldberger Str. 12, 18273 Güstrow, Tel.: 03843 / 777 215, email: kristin.zscheile@lung.mv-regierung.de

Monitoring

Dr. Norman Stier, TU Dresden - Forstzoologie, AG Wildtierforschung, Tel.: 035203 / 3831 371 0171 / 4859 789, email: stier@forst.tu-dresden.de

 

Lower Saxony

Livestock protection, Public relations activities, Management

Wolfsbüro des Niedersächsischen Landesbetriebs für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz, Göttinger Chaussee 76A, 30453 Hannover, Tel.: 0511 / 3034-3034, email: Wolfsbuero@NLWKN-H.Niedersachsen.de

Monitoring

Raoul Reding, Landesjägerschaft Niedersachsen e.V., Schopenhauerstr. 21, 30625 Hannover, Tel.: 0511 / 530430, email: wolf@ljn.de

 

North Rhine-Westphalia

Management

Dr. Matthias Kaiser, Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW, Fachbereich 24 Artenschutz, Leibnitzstr. 10, 45659 Recklinghausen, Tel.: 02361 / 305 - 3311, email: matthias.kaiser@lanuv.nrw.de

Monitoring

Dr. Ingrid Hucht-Ciorga, Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW, Fachbereich 24 Artenschutz, Leibnitzstr. 10, 45659 Recklinghausen, Tel.: 02361 / 305 - 3203, email: ingrid.hucht-ciorga@lanuv.nrw.de

 

Rhineland-Palatinate

Large carnivore hotline

Tel.: 06306 / 911199, email: wolf@snu.rlp.de

Monitoring

Michael Back, Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz, D-67705 Trippstadt, Tel.: 06306 / 911115, email: michael.back@wald-rlp.de

Livestock protection

Jochen Krebühl, Stiftung Natur und Umwelt RLP (SNU), Diether-von-Isenburg-Straße 7, 55116 Mainz, Tel.: 06131 / 165075, email: jochen.krebuehl@snu.rlp.de

FFH reporting, Species conservation

Ludwig Simon, Landesamt für Umwelt, Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 7, 55116 Mainz, Tel.: 06131 / 6033 1434, email: Ludwig.Simon@lfu.rlp.de

 

Saarland

Management

Dr. Andreas Bettinger, Ministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz, Referat D/2 Arten- und Biotopschutz, Zentrum für Biodokumentation, Am Bergwerk Reden 11, 66578 Schiffweiler, Tel.: 0681 / 501 3450, email: a.bettinger@umwelt.saarland.de

 

Saxony

Wolf in general, Public relations activities

Fachstelle Wolf am Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie,  Tel.: 035242/6318201, email: fachstellewolf.lfulg@smul.sachsen.de

Monitoring

Gesa Kluth, Ilka Reinhardt & MitarbeiterInnen im LUPUS Institut für Wolfsmonitoring und -forschung in Deutschland, Dorfaue 9, 02979 Spreewitz, Tel.: 035727 / 57762, email: kontakt@lupus-institut.de

Livestock protection 

Ulrich Klaußnitzer, Fachbüro für Naturschutz und Landschaftsökologie, OT Haßlau Nr. 29a, D-04741 Roßwein, Tel.: 0151 / 5055 1465, email: herdenschutz@Klausnitzer.org

 

Saxony-Anhalt

Wolfskompetenzzentrum Iden im Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen-Anhalt, Fachbereich Naturschutz:

Lindenstraße 18, 39606 Iden; E-Mail: wzi@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de

Head: Andreas Berbig, Tel.:0393906 481, E-Mail: andreas.berbig@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de

Emergency mobile number for reporting livestock damage and wolves found dead or injured wolves during out of office hours: 0162-3133949

Monitoring

Antje Weber, Tel.:0393906 484, E-Mail: antje.weber@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de

Livestock protection

Simone Lühe, Tel.:0393906 482, E-Mail: simone.luehe@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de

Examination of livestock kills

Julia Kamp & Peter Oestreich, Tel.:0393906 483 /-480, E-Mail: julia.kamp@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de, peter.oestreich@lau.mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de

Amt für Landwirtschaft, Flurneuordnung und Forsten Anhalt; Kühnauer Straße 161, 06846 Dessau-Roßlau

Compensation for damages caused by wolves

Frau Lena Weidner, Tel.: 0340 6506 634 E-Mail: lena.Weidner@alff.mule.sachsen-anhalt.de

Facilitation of livestock protection measures

Frau Gabriele Liermann, Tel.: 0340 6506 644 E-Mail: gabriele.liermann@alff.mule.sachsen-anhalt.de

 

Schleswig-Holstein

Management

Thomas Gall, Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und ländliche Räume des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, Referat Schutzgebiete, Artenschutz V 526, Mercatorstraße 3, 24106 Kiel, Tel.: 0431 / 9887 109, email: thomas.gall@melur.landsh.de

Coordinator Wolfsbetreuung

Jens Matzen, Dorfstr. 5, 24601 Stolpe, Tel.: 04326 / 288 655, email: Jens.matzen@gmx.de

Management, Livestock protection

Stefan Weiel, Landesamt für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und ländliche Räume Schleswig-Holstein, Abt. Naturschutz u. Forst, Wolfsmanagement, Hamburger Chaussee 25, 24220 Flintbek, Tel.: 04347 / 704 430, email: stefan.weiel@llur.landsh.de

Monitoring

Dr. Norman Stier, TU Dresden - Forstzoologie, AG Wildtierforschung, Tel.: 035203 / 3831 371 0171 / 4859 789, email: stier@forst.tu-dresden.de

 

Thuringia

Sebastian Rogahn, Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz, Ref. 44 - Arten- und Biotopschutz, Waldökologie, Beethovenstr. 3, 99096 Erfurt, Tel.: 0361 / 57-3911465, email: sebastian.rogahn@tmuen.thueringen.de

Charlotte Steinberg, Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz, Referat 44 – Arten- und Biotopschutz, Biologische Vielfalt, Kompetenzzentrum Wolf, Biber, Luchs, Löberstraße 34, 99106 Erfurt, Tel. 0361 / 573 934 145 (zu Dienstzeiten), E-Mail: charlotte.steinberg@tmuen.thueringen.de

wolf/lynx hotline including examination of livestock kills (available 24h): 0361 573 934 941

From the ecological/biological point of view, there is no need to hunt wolves. Wolf belong to the so-called top predators. This means that their abundance is not regulated through superior predators, but through the abundance and availability of prey animals. Due to the way wolves live (in families with distinct territoriality), the number of wolves in a particular area is naturally limited. In areas with high prey animal densities and/or many available domestic animals, more wolves can live than in areas with a smaller food availability.

From the legal point of view, hunting wolves in the EU is only allowed under certain circumstances. This includes that the population has to be and remain in a favourable conservation status. This means that it must be ensured that the population has a very low risk of becoming extinct in the long term. At present, this is not the case in Germany.

In general, there is the legal possibility to remove wolves from the wild on the basis of case-by-case decisions, when no other methods are effective. For example, this includes wolves that show unusual or potentially safety-related behaviour towards humans. Additionally, wolves can be killed when they repeatedly cause livestock damage despite recommended protection measures.

No, as game is unclaimed, i.e. does not belong to anyone, according to the hunting law (§1 BJagdG). Only through killing game, hunters acquire ownership of an animal. From a legal perspective, hunting is not a line of business. As the return of the wolf is not an act of sovereign power (e.g. as reintroduction), asset values are not affected. Therefore, there is no compensation for reduced income through hunting.

Almost all federal states now have wolf management plans that include compensation payments for livestock damages and funding of preventive measures. The focus is on persons who keep sheep and goats, as these animals are specifically affected by the wolf. In many federal states there are rules for the minimum standard of measures protecting these animals. Sticking to these rules is necessary in order to be eligible for potential compensation payments. Only in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, compensation payments can be legally claimed after official assessment of the case.

Yes, this can be the case with smaller livestock such as sheep and goats. As hunting and killing prey is laborious for wolves, they take the chance to kill more than one animal when possible, in order to build up a supply. In nature, this usually does not happen, as prey animals flee when an attack takes place e.g. on a herd of red deer, in which case usually only one animal - if at all - is killed. In contrast, a herd of sheep is a distinctively helpless group of prey for the wolf, as they do not have functioning strategies for fleeing or defending themselves. The lack of these strategies causes repeated hunting and killing behaviour in wolves.

On the European level, the wolf is a strictly protected species, which has been listed in the Bern Convention (a conservation agreement of all European Countries) as early as 1979. The Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EWG) regulates that member states have to undertake conservation measures such as developing and implementing management plans and to designate special areas of conservation for the wolf. Deliberate disturbance of wolves, as well as capturing, killing and other forms of interference are prohibited.

In the GDR, the wolf was a huntable species with a year-round shooting season from 1984 on. Since the German reunification in 1990, the wolf has the highest possible protection status under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Until the end of the 1990ies, some federal states had listed the wolf as a huntable species with a year-round closed season. Subsequently, the wolf was subject to the conservation legislation in the whole area of Germany for more than 10 years. Since September 2012, the wolf has been governed by hunting law in one federal state only, namely the Free State of Saxony. Independently, specialist and enforcement authorities of the federal states are responsible for the wolf.

In Poland, the wolf is not a huntable species and has been protected since 1998. Exception permits that allow for killing wolves are only issued in special cases, when wolves repeatedly kill domestic animals despite livestock protection measures.

Deliberately shooting a wolf in Germany is a criminal offence and will be punished through money fines or imprisonment of up to 5 years. The legislator punishes accidental shooting a wolf through money fines as well and up to 6 months of imprisonment. Further, consequences in the framework of hunting legislation are possible, such as withdrawal of the hunting licence or prohibition of hunting.