Communication failure at the Office for Hunting and Fishing Graubünden

On August 21, a wolf killed 36 sheep in the Val Fex in the Upper Engadine. This incident not only raises questions about livestock protection but also casts a negative light on the information management of the Graubünden Office for Hunting and Fishing (AJF).

Editorial Team Wild beim Wild — September 1, 2025

For the approximately 700 sheep on the alpine pasture, there was a so-called individual farm herd protection concept (EHK).

The truly scandalous aspect, however, is the behavior of the authorities. In their immediate statement to Swiss television , they omitted the fact that the animals were unprotected. Instead, co-director and amateur hunter Adrian Arquint stated that the incident demonstrated the "limits of livestock protection." This statement created the false impression among the public that the wolf had killed 36 "protected" sheep. This is simply misleading.

An authority that repeatedly conceals facts forfeits trust. Here, information was not provided; here, public opinion was manipulated – at the expense of the wolf and objectivity.

The blame lies not with the wild animal , but with people who fail to consistently implement conservation measures – and with authorities who deliberately keep the public in the dark. The Office for Hunting and Nonsense has not only created a communication disaster here, but has also consciously stoked fears and fueled calls for wolves to be shot.

Transparency and honesty would have been needed. Instead, we are witnessing the all-too-familiar reversal of perpetrator and victim: the wolf as the monster, the human as the victim. In reality, it is the other way around.

Instead of protective measures, a scenario is being implemented that destabilizes the population – not out of ignorance, but against better judgment.

Criticism from Wildlife Protection Switzerland

The Swiss Wildlife Protection organization speaks of a clear failure of communication. Authorities must provide "complete and transparent" information to enable an objective debate. Unclear or misleading statements fuel fears, distract from human negligence, and encourage calls for wolf culls.

The 36 dead sheep are victims of a system that too often shifts responsibility onto the wolf. Instead of clearly identifying the gaps in livestock protection , the predator is reflexively made the scapegoat. This not only manipulates public opinion but also undermines the societal consensus on how to manage wolves.

Violation of the Animal Welfare Act?

The case could still have legal repercussions. Abandoning farm animals without adequate protective measures violates Swiss animal welfare law and regulations governing summer grazing. Wildlife Protection Switzerland therefore demands that the responsible owners, not the wolf , be held accountable for these negligence.

As long as it is permitted to leave sheep unattended in alpine pastures for up to seven days, similar incidents are inevitable, the organization argues. "Those who blame the wolf are not contributing to the solution – they are endangering livestock, species conservation, and misleading the public."

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