9 April 2026, 05:38

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Hunting

Valais Hobby Hunter Shoots Livestock Guardian Dog Instead of Wolf

The wolf massacre in the canton of Valais also involves specially trained hobby hunters — the crème de la crème.

Editorial team Wild beim Wild — 21 December 2023

Livestock guardian dog shot at night

In Oberems, a livestock guardian dog was mistakenly identified as a wolf and shot.

The incident occurred a few days ago at night in the district of Leuk VS, according to nau.ch.

A fatal mix-up

The dog was supposed to protect the sheep while they were on the pasture. A trophy hunter lying in wait for wolves mistook the dog for a wolf and fired accidentally.

The dog died, resulting in a loss of approximately 8’000 francs that taxpayers must cover for the training and replacement of the livestock guardian dog. It was therefore not only a tragic, but also a very costly hunting error.

The exact circumstances of the tragic incident remain unclear.

Update 22.12.2023: Wildlife warden rather than hobby hunter

Nau.ch reported on 21.12.2023 that a hobby hunter had mistaken a guardian dog for a wolf.

On Friday, 22.12.2023, the Valais hunting service announced that it was in fact a professional wildlife warden. The Geneva model with professional wildlife wardens demonstrates that wildlife management without hobby hunting can function without such mix-ups.

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

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More on the topic of hobby hunting: In our dossier on hunting we compile fact-checks, analyses and background reports.

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