Wolf released for shooting again in East Tyrol

In the Thurner Alm area in Thurn in the north of the Lienz valley floor, six dead and one injured sheep were found, and another had to be killed. After an assessment by an official veterinarian, there was suspicion that a wolf was involved, and the state justified its decision for the regulation on Monday.

Fence or stable recommended

This has already been announced and will come into force at midnight. The shooting regulation applies for a period of eight weeks within a radius of ten kilometers from the location of the event. It was said that the responsible hunters’ association had already been informed. All animal owners were also recommended to protect sheep and goats in their home pastures with a “wolf-repellent fence” or to put them in a safe stable at night.

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Most recently, an ordinance was issued for the shooting of a harmful wolf in the East Tyrolean Villgratental. A few hours later, the predator was finally shot by the hunters. In this case, 15 dead and seven injured sheep were recorded in a stable-like shelter. So far, a total of five wolves have been killed in Tyrol according to shooting regulations.

Will protection status be lowered?

Last year, the Tyrolean state parliament passed an amendment to the law that allows killing by decree and no longer by notice. Previous decisions had been overturned by the court several times after environmental organizations had successfully appealed against them. The shooting regulations now apply to a wolf – and not to an individual. These and similar regulations in the federal states continually cause legal and political debates. The EU Commission recently gave signals towards lowering the protection status of the wolf. A measure that is constantly being demanded by those in power in Tyrol, among others.