‘Threatening’ Swiss wolf shot without permit

The shooting of wolves usually requires permission from the federal authorities. Keystone / Arno Balzarini

A game warden in Switzerland has shot dead a wolf without prior permission because the animal appeared to be stalking people.

The wolf was being monitored in the southeastern canton of Graubünden after its behaviour gave rise to concerns, reportsExternal link Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

Several attempts to scare the wolf away over the last few months with rubber bullets and to fit it with an electronic transmitter had failed, the local authorities said.

It had recently been observed following a walker for some distance, getting to within two metres of the person. Therefore, on Friday a decision was taken to shoot the animal as an emergency measure to protect the public.

Wolves are a protected species in Switzerland and may only be culled under strict conditions. Individual cantons must apply for a permit from the federal authorities, giving reasons why wolves should be shot. This is usually because they are killing too many livestock or because packs are growing too large.

The management of wolf packs also takes into consideration the likelihood of the animals coming into contact with people.

In 2020, voters rejected parliament’s plans to ease the law on killing wolves by giving cantons more autonomy to make such decisions.

There are currently about 130 wolves and at least 11 packs in Switzerland. They are estimated to kill around 300-500 sheep and goats per year.