PETA files complaint against the Canton of Valais

Because it was mistaken for a dog-wolf hybrid, game wardens shot a wolf in Valais.

The animal welfare organisation PETA has now taken legal action.

At the end of January, game wardens in the Canton of Valais shot a wolf with an unusual, darker coat colouring. The canton, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), and the predator specialist centre KORA suspected it might be a wolf-dog hybrid. This turned out to be a mistake, as subsequent analyses revealed — the animal that was shot was a pure wolf.

The error now has legal consequences. The German branch of the animal welfare organisation PETA is taking legal action against the Canton of Valais, as stated in a press release. PETA accuses those responsible of violations of hunting and animal protection legislation.

Complaint received

«It is shocking that a strictly protected species, not subject to hunting, was shot based on photographs alone. But even if it had been a hybrid rather than a wolf: killing a living being simply because it is not ‘purebred’ can in no way be considered a ‘reasonable cause’ under animal protection law for killing an animal», Edmund Haferbeck of PETA is quoted as saying in the communiqué. It appears that no responsible assessment was carried out prior to the shooting.

The complaint was filed by the legal department of PETA Germany, which handles legal matters on behalf of PETA Switzerland, as media spokesperson Jana Fuhrmann explained in response to an inquiry from 20 Minuten. The Valais Attorney General's office confirmed to the «Walliser Bote» that a complaint from PETA had been received, but stated that due to official and investigative confidentiality it can neither confirm nor deny that the complaint is directed against the Canton of Valais.

Under observation since autumn

The wolf in question had been under observation since autumn 2021. Its size and dark coat had caught attention in photos and videos. Both FOEN and KORA agreed to the cull. It was subsequently examined at the Veterinary Hospital in Bern. The Laboratory of Population Genetics at the University of Lausanne and the Centre for Wildlife Genetics in Gelnhausen, Germany, carried out the genetic analysis. The results showed that it was a genetically pure wolf originating from the Italian-French population.

«This result shows that external characteristics in wolf populations of Italian origin can vary to a greater extent than previously assumed», writes the Canton of Valais in a press release. Authorities and experts assume that, unlike in some neighbouring countries, no wolf-dog pairings have yet occurred in Switzerland. It is therefore important that, where there is reasonable suspicion of wolf-dog hybrids, these animals are also culled in Switzerland.

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