FOEN approves massacre of additional young wolves

The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN has approved the application from the canton of Vaud for regulation of the wolf pack at Marchairuz.

The canton may authorize the culling of three young wolves.

On 8 August 2022, the canton of Vaud submitted an application to the FOEN for regulation of the wolf pack at Marchairuz. This was justified by the increasing attacks on cattle herds, in which at least four calves were killed by wolves, with further cases still under investigation. By shooting three young wolves, the canton aims to bring about a change in the pack's behavior.

The FOEN approved the application on 14 September 2022. The canton of Vaud may now issue a shooting order. This must be limited in duration until 31 March 2023. The cullings must take place in the vicinity of livestock herds and in the presence of multiple wolves in order to bring about a change in the pack's behavior.

Wolves in Switzerland

The wolf population in Switzerland is growing. Currently, around 180 wolves and 19 packs live in Switzerland. The Federal Council had developed a proposal with the revised Hunting Act in order to better regulate the growing wolf population and thus address the concerns of mountain regions. The revised Hunting Act was rejected by the Swiss electorate in September 2020. In doing so, the electorate also spoke out specifically against the preventive culling of wolves.

In order to quickly defuse the situation in areas with a growing wolf population, the Federal Council therefore amended the Hunting Ordinance for the 2021 alpine summer. This allows cantons to intervene more rapidly in wolf populations, and herd protection was also strengthened. In view of the challenges facing alpine farming, the DETEC additionally tasked the FOEN with pursuing a further amendment to the ordinance for the alpine summer of 2023, based on jointly formulated demands from 14 conservation and land-use organizations.

Parliament is also in the process of preparing a proposal to amend the hunting law. The Environmental Committee of the Council of States submitted a parliamentary initiative in October 2021 entitled "Growing wolf populations are getting out of control and, without the possibility of regulation, are endangering agriculture." This initiative aims to enable proactive regulation of the wolf population in Switzerland in order to prevent damage to livestock and threats to human safety. Current legislation only permits regulation after significant damage or a substantial threat has already occurred. In its statement of 31 August 2022, the Federal Council expressed support for Parliament's efforts to effectively regulate the wolf population in Switzerland. It also considers the planned expansion of scope for shooting individual wolves to be sensible — specifically the provision allowing cantons to remove wolves that pose a danger to humans.

The responsibilities remain unchanged: the cantons are responsible for ordering the culling of individual animals causing damage. If they wish to intervene against a pack, the approval of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is required.

Dead wolves learn nothing — deterred wolves do!

Non-lethal deterrence of wolves can radically change their behavior and lead to significantly fewer livestock kills. This is demonstrated by the first scientific study accompanying a field trial in the Italian Alps, where the previously problematic alpha male of a wolf pack was fitted with a radio collar and deterred using rubber bullets. He subsequently reduced attacks on livestock by 70%.

His hunting of wild animals even increased by 89%, his daily travel distance rose by 74%, and he behaved far more cautiously around humans than before. The study was conducted on the alpha male of the Grappa pack in the northern Italian province of Veneto. The male was fitted with a radio collar and subjected to deterrence measures because it had been killing livestock very frequently and had shown little shyness around alpine farming staff. It hunted partly alone and partly together with other pack members. The study was carried out by a research team from the University of Sassari.

Hazing has the advantage over shooting in that wolves can learn from it. Keeping areas wolf-free through culling does not work given rising populations. When wolves are shot, new ones move in immediately, which may exhibit equally undesirable behavior. Therefore, deterring wolves through hazing is preferable to shooting, particularly with regard to protecting livestock.

Dossier: Wolf in Switzerland: Facts, Politics, and the Limits of Hunting