First Wolf Shooting in Lower Austria

After a wolf once again approached the same herd and threatened it, the animal was killed by a hunter on Wednesday. The compliance of the shooting with regulations was emphasized. An inspection by state experts was also carried out immediately.

The attacked livestock herd had been secured with a higher fence than provided for in the wolf regulation. Additionally, an underground protection was installed. After an initial attack, the subsequently shot wolf again approached the herd within 100 meters.

The shooting was carried out in accordance with the relevant regulation and reported to the state within the prescribed period. "The Lower Austrian wolf regulation serves to protect people and livestock from wolf attacks. If problem wolves approach settlements or threaten and kill livestock secured by herd protection measures, then wolves may be deterred and removed," stated Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP).

New Wolf Regulation in Effect Since 2023

The so-called new wolf regulation has been in effect in Lower Austria since April 2023. A prior official order for deterrence or shooting is no longer required. Instead, behaviors of the predator that can lead to corresponding consequences have been defined. In the case of deterrence by hunters in the form of warning or scare shots, it is considered "undesirable behavior," and in the case of shootings, "problematic behavior" of the wolf. Every measure must be reported to the responsible district authority.

Also against the backdrop of increasing numbers of livestock attacks - in 2025 there have been 48 cases in Lower Austria so far - adaptations were made to the wolf regulation at the end of last year. New since then is the specific provision applied for the protection of livestock. If within four weeks after an attack on properly protected livestock there is a danger or an immediate threat to the lives of further specimens, a shooting is possible as soon as the wolf reappears.

Criticism from the WWF

The WWF expressed criticism on Friday. The environmental protection organization considers the Lower Austrian wolf regulation to be illegal because no separate official permit is required for a shooting, and therefore there is no possibility to have corresponding decisions reviewed by a court. In this country, 45 wolves have been killed in recent years. "With a population of only nine packs and around 100 animals, Austria has the highest shooting rate in the entire EU," the WWF stated in a release. A call was made for a herd protection initiative.

The Lower Austrian Hunting Association emphasized that shootings are part of a "variety of coordinated measures" in wolf management. This minimizes the risk of conflicts in a cultural landscape like that in Lower Austria and makes coexistence of people, wild and domestic animals, and wolves possible.

Johannes Schmuckenschlager, President of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture and ÖVP National Council member, spoke up on Friday: "The protection of the population and agricultural businesses takes precedence." The Waldviertel is one of the main damage areas of the wolf, with the animals increasingly approaching villages, farms, and settlement areas. This behavior "cannot be tolerated," and the wolf regulation takes this into account. FPÖ state parliament member Alexander Schnabel, meanwhile, demanded a further reduction in the protection status for the wolf.

(APA/Red)

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