Valais orders the shooting of further wolf packs
Published: Tuesday, Sep 17th 2024, 11:30
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The canton of Valais has ordered the shooting of two more wolf packs. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has subsequently granted the canton permission to do so, as announced by the State Chancellery on Tuesday. The canton can thus completely eliminate three of the current eleven wolf packs.
Initially, the FOEN had decided that the canton of Valais could only shoot one of the four wolf packs planned. The permit initially only applied to the Nanz pack. As far as the other three packs were concerned, the FOEN had approved the shooting of the Les Toules pack subject to conditions and rejected the application for the elimination of the Augstbord and Hérens-Mandelon packs.
Following a "constructive discussion" between Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and Valais State Councillor Frédéric Favre, the two parties agreed, according to a press release on Tuesday, that Valais can apply for reconsideration or additions to its application for proactive regulation of wolves for these three packs.
In the meantime, the FOEN has re-examined the situation. On the one hand, it has recognized that livestock have been killed in protected situations in the Augstbord region since the first application on 21 August 2024. With regard to the Les Toules pack, the FOEN has also come to the conclusion that an attack took place in a protected situation.
The Valais can thus carry out the complete elimination of three of the current eleven wolf packs in the Valais. The wolf population in Valais is estimated at 90 to 120 individuals. The regulation permit is valid until January 31, 2025.
With regard to the fourth pack of wolves, the canton is also hoping for a positive decision from the FOEN. It wants to submit a supplementary application for the pack of Hérens-Mandelon as soon as possible after a sheep was discovered killed in a protected situation on Saturday.
©Keystone/SDA
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