Calanda Wolf: Why it will become more critical again in 2026

Wolves can reduce populations of ungulates and alter the behavior of red deer, roe deer, and chamois. This relieves pressure on forest regeneration locally, especially in protective forests. However, since 2017, the situation has escalated politically: Switzerland is implementing preventative wolf management measures, while the number of packs continues to rise.

Editorial Team Wild beim Wild — January 10, 2026

The wolf is a polarizing topic.

While livestock farmers and hobby hunters often perceive its return as a threat, forestry experts increasingly view it as an ecological factor with potential benefits for the forest.

Particular attention is being paid to protective forests, whose regeneration in many regions of Switzerland is suffering from severe browsing by wild animals. The Calanda massif in the Chur Rhine Valley serves as an example of how wolf packs can influence ungulate populations and their behavior. Since the initial publication of this article in 2017, however, not only the ecological but, above all, the political situation has changed significantly.

Study: Wolf packs are good for Swiss forests

This article examines the role of wolf packs from an educational and ecological perspective. It serves as a foundational article on the ecological role of wolves in Switzerland and complements further articles on wolf management, hunting policy, and livestock protection on wildbeimwild.com.

Why protective forests are under pressure

In many regions of Switzerland, red deer and roe deer populations are high. The resulting browsing damage to young trees prevents the forest from regenerating naturally. This is particularly problematic in mountainous areas, where forests play a crucial protective role against avalanches, rockfalls, and landslides. If young growth fails to occur, these forests become over-aged and ultimately lose their stability.

The extent to which wildlife populations influence forests is often underestimated or solely attributed to recreational hunting. A more in-depth analysis can be found in the background article on the impact of recreational hunting and wildlife density on forest ecosystems at wildbeimwild.com.

Calanda as an early example in Switzerland

A pair of wolves was regularly observed on the Calanda mountain for the first time in autumn 2011. With the first confirmed offspring in 2012, this became the first wolf pack in modern-day Switzerland. The region thus developed into an early observation area for the interaction between predators, ungulates, and forests.

In the years following the formation of the herd, declines in red deer populations were observed in the affected area, while populations increased in the rest of the canton. Changes were also seen in roe deer and chamois. The number of animals killed is not the only crucial factor. More important is the indirect effect: ungulates use their habitats differently, stay in the same places for shorter periods, and move more frequently. As a result, browsing damage is distributed more widely and is less concentrated in individual forest areas.

Foresters in the area reported an increase in silver fir and other young growth, some of it at ages that had been virtually absent for decades. These observations align with findings from other regions with a persistent presence of predators such as wolves and lynxes.

Fact box: Wolf, forest and wildlife at a glance

Wolf packs can locally reduce populations of red deer, roe deer, and chamois.
Changing the behavior of ungulates
Reduce concentrated browsing damage to young trees
Can protective forests provide relief, depending on the region and initial situation?

It is important to note that effects only become apparent over years or decades and are not measurable within individual hunting seasons.

What has changed since 2017

Since 2017, the situation has changed significantly. The number of wolf packs in Switzerland has increased sharply. In the monitoring year 2025/26 (February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026), 41 packs had been confirmed as of November 19, 2025, of which 31 were entirely within Switzerland and 10 were operating across borders. Hunting regulations were also amended accordingly.

With the introduction of preventative wolf management in Switzerland, cantons can apply for permits to cull wolves under certain conditions. This development is critically monitored on wildbeimwild.com and contextualized in several articles on wolf management and hunting law .

Update box: What has changed since 2017

Significantly more wolf packs in Switzerland
New legal frameworks for preventive regulation
More polarized political debate
More focus on culling, less on forest issues

The ecological mechanisms have remained the same, but the political environment has not.

What this means for the forest

Three factors are crucial for forest development: the density of ungulates, their spatial use, and the structure of the forest itself. Predators primarily influence the first two points. They reduce local populations and alter the animals' behavior. However, whether this results in a measurable improvement in forest regeneration also depends on climate, tree species, hunting practices, and existing forest damage.

The wolf is therefore neither a panacea nor a foreign element. It acts as one ecological factor among many. Particularly in regions with long-standing high wildlife pressure, its presence can trigger processes that are relevant for the forest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do wolves attack humans?
Attacks on humans are rare. In Switzerland, conflicts are almost exclusively related to farm animals, recreational hunters, dogs, or misconceptions about the behavior of wild animals . Documented incidents are exceptional in Switzerland.

Are wolves taking away game from recreational hunters?
Wildlife populations are influenced by many factors. Traffic, agriculture, disease, habitat loss, and recreational hunting play a greater role than any single predator. A more in-depth analysis can be found in articles on the myth of competition between wolves and recreational hunting at wildbeimwild.com.

Are culling a solution for livestock depredation?
Livestock protection remains crucial. The effectiveness of culling depends heavily on accuracy, timing, and accompanying measures. Why livestock protection measures are often more effective than culling is explained in dedicated educational articles on wildbeimwild.com.

Wolf packs can contribute locally to reducing predation pressure and altering the behavior of ungulates. Both of these effects can relieve pressure on protective forests and promote natural forest regeneration. However, since 2017, Switzerland has entered a phase of intensive regulation. This is precisely why it is important to focus not only on conflicts and culling, but also on the long-term ecological relationships. For the forest, the wolf remains a relevant part of the ecosystem.

Further reading