However, the allowance was used on such a large scale within days that a court—following complaints from animal organizations—has now suspended the expansion.
At the end of November, the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) approved applications from three cantons to shoot a total of twelve wolf packs. This was permitted during December and January. Only game wardens and specially trained hunters were allowed to participate in the wolf hunt.
With the easing of restrictions, wolves could be shot again before causing damage. The wolf remains a protected species; they may only be hunted in justified cases when their numbers exceed threshold levels.
According to an initial count, since then eight of the 44 designated wolves were killed in GraubĂĽnden and 14 of the approximately 34 targeted wolves in Valais. The now-suspended hunting permit allowed the shooting of seven of the thirteen wolf packs in Valais, corresponding to about 34 animals in an estimated population of 90 to 120 wolves.
Currently, there are 32 wolf packs in Switzerland in total, with approximately 300 wolves. In 2020, there were only eleven packs with over 100 wolves. As a result, the number of farm animals killed has also increased: from 446 in 2019 to 1,480 last year. This is mainly a problem in the southern Swiss Alpine provinces, which have many sheep and goats grazing on remote pastures.