“In the monitoring year 22/23, a wolf-resistant fence was present in approximately 12 percent of wolf attacks and in 40 percent of cases there was no wolf-resistant fence,” says researcher Julia Kamp from the Wolf Information Center in Saxony-Anhalt in an explanation. .
Last year, 50 percent were still unprotected in Saxony-Anhalt. And in Drenthe and Friesland, inspection of the grids during attacks by Drenthe wolves showed that less than one percent was wolf-resistant. Kamp concludes that protecting farm animals in Saxony-Anhalt does help against wolf attacks.
In Saxony-Anhalt, animal keepers must be well acquainted with wolf-resistant fences if they want to be eligible for a subsidy. “They must prove that they have knowledge of setting up fences. If they cannot prove this, they are obliged to take a course with us that specifically deals with wolf-resistant fences.”
It is sometimes said that there is no place for the wolf in Drenthe because the population density here is much greater than in Germany. “We hear the same thing in Germany. A comparison is often made with Sweden. There the population density is much smaller than in Germany. I think this is an emotional statement. Ultimately it is the wolf who decides whether it can live well somewhere, or not,” said Kamp.
The Wolf Information Center in Saxony-Anhalt is available 24 hours a day in case consultation is required if a wolf incident occurs. “For example, if there is an injured wolf, there is consultation with the mayor, the police and us. If necessary, we can issue a permit by telephone to shoot the animal. I have the feeling that this is going well here.”