Recreational hunting of wolf in Uri costs taxpayers 43,500 francs
The first wolf in 160 years in Uri was killed during a two-week hobby hunt. Cost to taxpayers: 43,500 francs. More on the wolf in Switzerland.
It was the first wolf in 160 years to be killed in Uri during a two-week hobby hunt.
The male of Italian origin had previously killed over 70 sheep on alpine pastures during spring and summer.
Cost of the wolf hunt
The shot was fired on 28 July. A recreational hunter had killed wolf M68. Two full-time staff members, 7 auxiliary game wardens, and 23 recreational hunters were deployed for the hunt. They performed duties valued at 25’000 francs, some of which may be compensated as overtime. The involvement of the recreational hunters amounts to around 8’500 francs. In addition, there are just over 10’000 francs for helicopter flights, transport, overnight stays in a mountain hut, and meals.
How much the wolf's presence in Uri has cost remains unclear. The expenditure for herd protection and compensation for sheep farmers is not yet known. In 2015, farmers received 37’500 francs in compensation for 55 sheep killed in Isenthal.
The cantonal government has decided to have the animal preserved and kept. Where the preserved animal may be displayed will be clarified in the coming weeks.
More on the subject of recreational hunting: In our dossiers on the criticism of recreational hunting gather fact-checks, analyses and background reports. The scientific evidence is presented in the overview Studies on the Effects of Recreational Hunting.
The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.
