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🇩🇪 Germany /Environment & Climate

New hunting law: Bavarian districts target wolves, conservationists object

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Approved/passed
  • Several Bavarian districts have authorized the killing of individual wolves after Germany eased rules governing wolf hunting.
  • Conservationists oppose the measures, while livestock owners and hunters seek protection for sheep, goats and calves.
  • Officials cite the low number of fatal wolf attacks in Europe and say the permitted hunts will target specific areas rather than allow uncontrolled shooting.

The wolf returned to Germany after roughly a century of extinction, and the argument over whether it belongs in the country has grown increasingly heated. In Bavaria, that dispute has now moved from public debate to the hunting grounds.

Several Bavarian district authorities have authorized the killing of individual wolves. In Oberallgäu, a general order allows wolf hunting in designated areas until October 31. The areas contain grazing livestock, according to the authority. Officials insist the measure does not amount to uncontrolled hunting.

In the last 50 years, nine cases of fatal attacks on people in Europe have become known, five of them by rabid animals.

· Bavarian Environment AgencyThe agency cited the figure while seeking to put fears of wolf attacks into perspective.

The Bundestag cleared the way for easier wolf culls in March by adding the animal to hunting law. The Bavarian Hunting Association had demanded the change and continues to call for a “viable upper limit for the wolf population in Bavaria.” When Parliament changed the rules, lawmakers estimated that more than 1,600 wolves were living in Germany.

For comparison: In Germany, 45 people died from insect stings between 2007 and 2009, and there have been 40 deaths caused by dogs since 1989.

· Bavarian Environment AgencyThe agency compared wolf attacks with other causes of fatal injuries.

The dispute intensified after a video filmed near a village in northern Upper Bavaria late in 2025 showed two wolves passing a deserted playground. Several people called for the animals to be shot, although nothing happened. Conservationists welcome the return of wolves, while farmers and shepherds worry about their sheep, goats and calves.

The Bavarian Environment Agency has tried to counter fears of attacks with figures. It says Europe recorded nine fatal wolf attacks on people in the past 50 years, five involving rabid animals. By comparison, 45 people in Germany died from insect stings between 2007 and 2009, while dogs have caused 40 deaths since 1989. Even so, the wolf's old image as the villain of fairy tales continues to shape the emotional debate.

A viable upper limit for the wolf population in Bavaria.

· Bavarian Hunting AssociationThe association's demand for a population cap was cited in the debate over easier wolf culls.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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