Wolf regulation in Switzerland: a close-up of a debate that is stirring up passions

Faced with the strong growth of the wolf in Switzerland, the Swiss government has decided to authorize more drastic regulation of the predator as of this winter, raising the ire of nature conservationists. What are the arguments? How many packs are active in the country, and what damage do they do? We take stock.

More than 120 years after its disappearance, the wolf made a comeback in Switzerland in the mid-1990s. It naturally recolonizes the country from Italy. For more than fifteen years, only a few isolated individuals or pairs were observed in Switzerland. It wasn't until 2012 that the first pack was formed in the Calanda massif between Graubünden and St. Gallen. Since then, other packs have settled in the cantons of Graubünden, Glarus, Ticino, Valais and Vaud.

By the end of 2022, there were 18 Swiss and eight cross-border wolf packs, for a total population of 240 wolves, according to the annual count by the KORA Foundation, which specializes in carnivore ecology and wildlife management in Switzerland.

Growth has accelerated in recent years. In 2019, a first pack was established in the Vaud Jura and two or three more were added. Evidence of wolf presence has already been found in at least twenty cantons, including Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Berne and Jura in French-speaking Switzerland.

The latest data from the KORA Foundation (cf. map below) show 32 packs (ten of them cross-border) and six pairs active in Switzerland. These figures do not include isolated individuals seen throughout the Alps and along the Jura chain. Some individuals have even ventured as far as the plains.

Logically, the number of livestock killed is also on the rise. Last year, almost 1,500 animals fell prey to the wolf, compared with just under a thousand in 2020 and 2021, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Between 2009 and 2019, the predator claimed a few hundred victims each year. Breeders are compensated for each animal killed. Since the late 1990s, more than three million Swiss francs have been paid out, including some 700,000 francs for 2022 alone, according to the Confederation.

In a press release issued in mid-October, the Swiss Wolf Group noted, however, that damage to herds had fallen sharply this year, thanks to protective measures such as the use of herding dogs and fencing. "Once again this year, 80% of the damage in Valais involves unprotected herds," he says. In the early 2000s, one wolf killed an average of 33 sheep a year, compared with five today, adds the association, whose statutes promote peaceful cohabitation with large indigenous predators.

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According to the KORA Foundation, at least 50% of the country's territory - in particular the Alps and the Jura mountain range - is suitable habitat for the wolf. From a purely biological point of view, between 50 and 100 wolf packs could live in the country. Furthermore, according to an international scientific study carried out in 2016, Switzerland would need to host at least 17 packs to ensure the long-term viability of the species in the Alps.

The debate about the wolf in Switzerland remains extremely lively. Ecologists believe that the animal should be allowed to thrive in our country. Large predators are the most effective way of regulating the numbers of deer and other herbivores that cause enormous damage to forests, they point out. Breeders, on the other hand, emphasize the economic consequences of attacks on their herds, as well as the well-being of people likely to come into contact with the canid.

Preventive rather than reactive regulation

In order to ensure sustainable coexistence between humans and predators, the Federal Council decided a few days ago to implement the first part of the amendment to the Hunting Act, which relaxes shooting conditions. "Cantons can now shoot wolves to prevent damage, rather than only once it has occurred," explains the government. This revolution in wolf regulation strategy comes into effect on December 1.

The Federal Council stresses that the wolf remains a protected species. "Packs that don't pose a problem can't be shot," says DETEC head Albert Rösti. Cantons will not be able to exterminate entire packs without justification. The government has also divided the country into five regions, each with a minimum number of two or three packs. In total, Switzerland will have to maintain at least 12 packs. This represents a potential reduction of some 70% in the number of packs compared with the current situation.

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Graubünden wasted no time in announcing their intentions. On Tuesday, they asked the Confederation for authorization to eliminate four of the twelve packs in the canton. The Graubünden authorities also want to kill up to two-thirds of the pups in two packs near Davos and in the Val Poschiavo. In all, up to 27 animals will be targeted, in addition to the 17 individuals already under authorization to be killed. The canton currently has some 130 wolves in its territory.

The situation of the wolf in Switzerland

More and more wolves, fewer and fewer wolf kills

Latest figures show: Wolves have killed significantly fewer animals this year than last year - although there are more and more wolves in Switzerland. The reason behind this is a matter of debate.

Susanne Stöckl

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Wolves from the Kärpfrudel in Elm (GL) killed numerous alpacas over the weekend. Another alpaca died this morning, says Urs Elmer. His farming family has lost a total of eight alpacas, three more are injured. "I've seen how violent the wolves are." The alpacas wouldn't stand a chance. "They can defend themselves against a single wolf, but not against several."

However, the latest figures available to SRF show that overall, there are fewer and fewer wolf kills. Last year, over 1,200 animals were killed in cantons with wolf packs by the end of September. This year, wolves killed just under 850 animals during the same period - a decrease of 29%.

The decrease is particularly strong in the cantons of Graubünden and Glarus: half as many animals were killed in the canton of Graubünden, while in Glarus there were over 80% fewer kills. Wolf kills have also decreased in the cantons of Valais and Ticino. In the cantons of Vaud and St. Gallen, however, the number of kills has remained stable.

Herd protection measures are crucial for "Pro Natura"

The decreasing number of kills is related to the expanded herd protection, the environmental protection organisation "Pro Natura" explains. "Herd protection means the herd is protected either by guard dogs and/or shepherds." Another option for shepherds is to protect their herds with wolf-repellent electric fences, says Sara Wehrli, responsible for hunting policy at Pro Natura.

"Herd protection measures generally work very well against wolves", says Wehrli. However, there are individual animals and occasionally entire packs that learn to circumvent the herd protection measures. In these cases, it is already possible to intervene and shoot the wolves to decimate the packs.

Herd protection measures only half the story

The president of the Swiss Sheep Breeders’ Association, Lukas Berger, has a different explanation for the decreasing number of kills. In his opinion, the decline in the number of kills is related to the fact that fewer and fewer Alps are being used because of the wolf. "Many alpine farmers have mentally reached their limit. Every kill is one too many. The psychological pressure on those affected is huge."

From Pro Natura's point of view, the solution is to further expand herd protection because, according to Pro Natura, 80% of the kills occur in herds that are not protected. "This shows a great need for expansion", says Wehrli and adds, that this year, the herd protection budget had already been exhausted by June. According to Wehrli, it is clear that herd protection must continue to be financed by the federal government.

Lukas Berger also supports herd protection measures. He keeps sheep himself near Spiez in the Bernese Oberland and protects them with an electric fence. However, herd protection would sometimes reach its limits. There have already been kills in protected herds, says Berger: "Due to the topographical conditions, not all Alps can be protected." Herd protection is certainly important and right, he says. "But it is not equally feasible everywhere."

Berger is therefore counting on the federal government's new hunting law. This new law would include that in the future, entire wolf packs can be shot preventively without a wolf having previously killed a farm animal.

More wolves, fewer attacks

Wolves in Switzerland: cull or protect?

In the mountain regions, poachers enjoy more sympathy than wolves - farmers are too angry about wolf attacks on their animals. New figures show: More than every 7th dead wolf found is a victim of poaching.

Here, next to the sheepfold, Matthias Schnyder shot the M250 wolf at dawn. The convicted poacher welcomes the SRF TV broadcast "Rundschau" to the scene of the crime. "I come to the barn, do an inspection tour, I was armed. That's when I saw the wolf attacking the sheep", Matthias Schnyder recalls the moment he shot the wolf. This took place in October 2022. "I knew what I was doing. We have laws in Switzerland. I knew exactly: the wolf is a protected animal. But I also have a obligation towards my animals."

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The wolf has many enemies in Switzerland. Wolves are regularly killed illegally. Mostly with firearms, also with poison. Research by "Rundschau" shows that more than one in seven wolves found dead in this country were victims of poaching.

To be exact: 128 dead wolves between 1998 and the end of August 2023. Eleven of these were killed illegally. In the case of eight other wolves that were legally shot or killed in a road accident, investigations showed that the wolves had previously been shot illegally. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) confirms these figures to the "Rundschau". And: By far not all dead wolves are found. The actual number of poaching cases could therefore be even higher.

Matthias Schnyder's fatal shot has a history. One that put a heavy burden on the mountain farmer. Two nights earlier, the wolf attacked part of the flock of sheep grazing next to the barn. Schnyder discovered around a dozen dead and injured sheep. The images of the dead and injured sheep remain in his mind.

He is worried about his sheep, sleeps badly. So he takes a rifle with a scope out of the closet - a weapon for which he had no authorisation - and drives to the barn. When the wolf reappears, he reacts. "There's immediate adrenalin my fingertips", Schnyder says. He shoots at the wolf from 50 metres. "With hindsight, you could perhaps say that I could have shot into the air and not directly at the wolf." The wounded wolf runs towards the edge of the forest and dies.

On social media, the then unknown wolf shooter is celebrated by some, criticised by others. This summer, the Upper Valais public prosecutor's office convicted Matthias Schnyder of poaching and offences against the Weapons Act.

Claire Micallef

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He sees himself as a shepherd who has done his duty: "I am not a poacher. I was protecting my sheep. I have been convicted as a poacher, that is correct. But I'm not a nutcase who hunts wolves or trophies." Schnyder will bear the consequences - a conditional fine of CHF 4,000 and a fine of CHF 950. Even though he acted wrongly according to the law, he is convinced that he acted morally correctly.

One in seven dead wolves was poached

A report between the Vergeletto Valley, on an alp with 200 sheep, and the Leventina, where the owner of the sheep that were already victims of attacks last summer lives. 

"I'd like to meet a wolf one day, but it hasn't happened yet." Benjamin immediately surprises me; it's not the classic answer you'd expect from a shepherd. Then again, this  33-year-old German has a peculiar background: training as a graphic designer and a variety of jobs on his CV before gaining several experiences in the Swiss Alps between Valais and Graubünden over the last six years, always working with sheep and goats in the mountains. But we are here at the Alp Arena in the Vergeletto Valley not to talk about his past, but about wolves and herd protection.

As far as protection is concerned, the shepherd continues that "things are going well: we now have the option of locking the sheep in the barn at night, building an electric fence or using the fence that was built last year for the goats, which we can now put the sheep in. This is convenient because we can move it at least every three days to ensure the welfare of the sheep. There is also the advantage that this is a tourist area with several passes, which probably helps to keep the wolf a little further away."

Benjamin had contact with a farmer in Valais who left the farm after a series of attacks, psychologically destroyed. In Graubünden, he then came up with do-it-yourself solutions in the style of scarecrows and lit fires - and so far, he has never been attacked. The 200 or so sheep that he looks after together with her partner Eva Clivio belong to Giulia Giugliemma, a breeder from Sobrio, who was the victim of a major raid on the Antabia Alp in Val Bavona last year. The alp is actually a fallback solution, as this pasture is traditionally occupied by goats and cows.

"There were several options, but either there were problems with organisation and timing, or there were people who simply didn't want to do it out of fear, even with cows and goats. At one point we said, okay, we have to find a solution, and we decided in favour of sheep."

The fears are partly understandable: We are a stone's throw away from the Italian Val Grande, from where a cross-border pack of wolves keeps coming back to Locarno soil, particularly in the Cimalmotto-Bosco Gurin area. The wolf problem doesn't disturb Benjamin's sleep, but it does create a lot of extra work, and it's not always easy to make ends meet. Despite all the difficulties, Benjamin believes that grazing in the mountains should be preserved in order to protect biodiversity, tradition and the landscape. Therefore, according to the shepherd, the wolf must be managed: "It's not an easy issue, but I think the concerns of mountain farmers and the Alpine economy are justified. There are those who want the wolf to remain untouched, and then there are those who want to eliminate all wolves... I think that regulation and legislation is necessary, because as long as there are two wolves, it's one thing, but if there are more and more and they continue to multiply, everything changes... and experts should take care of it."

I leave Benjamin and continue on to the Salei hut, where I meet the hut warden Gianluca, who runs the place with his wife. I ask him briefly about the wolf. "Last year, it attacked goats in the area and killed four or five of them. We're more on our guard, but we're not afraid", the hut warden assures me.

The owner: "Great effort. But I've been hanging in there for 22 years."

After a long drive, I arrive at Giulia Giugliemma's home, who is the owner of the almost 200 sheep I met a few hours earlier in the Vergeletto Valley. She shows me a sheep with three legs: "It was bitten by a wolf three years ago." After the attacks in Antabia in 2022, Giulia was very upset: "It wasn't so easy to move on", she says. "I had to make hay and look after the sheep and lambs that were injured. It was a huge effort, both physically and mentally." But the thought of quitting never crossed her mind, she says. "I've been managing this alone for 22 years. With sporadic help from my son." Confirmation that she has a thick skin, even for a wolf's teeth.

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Coexisting with the predator

Maurizio Minoletti has been managing Alp Rompiago for 7 years. Now he has reached his limits. "A third of the herd has been killed".

The wolf made him give up. Maurizio Minoletti is well known in the region. His Rompiago Alp is located near Monte Bar, a popular excursion destination for tourists. 

He has now decided to sell his animals and give up his profession. Many farmers in Ticino have made the same decision. The reason is the increasing number of wolves in the region.

"Unfortunately, the wolf population in this area is growing from year to year. It started with 5 or 6 wolves, now there are around 20. 12 animals were killed this year, and five more were injured. In total, they have taken over 50 goats and eight sheep in the last seven years, about a third of the herd. When an animal is killed, it's bad, but you can live with it. But when you see one with 15 to 16 bites and it's still alive, that hurts like hell."

Minoletti knows many colleagues who, like him, are thinking about giving up the profession, "partly because you feel let down by everyone".

Over the years, he has tried to protect his animals: "We have had guard dogs for 15 years. However, when the wolves are so numerous, they can distract the dogs and manage to prey on the goats. We have a 56-kilo Pyrenean Shepherd, but last year it was bitten in the back by wolves and was completely open. And I emphasize that we are among the lucky ones in the area. Our neighbours lost around 13 in one night during the last raid. These incidents are no longer even reported in the media." In addition, there were also incidents with tourists, with some "disrespectful" cyclists being bitten by the guard dogs.

The decision to leave the alp and give up the profession is painful for Minoletti: "I think that those who manage to get through these years will see some positive signs in the long term. The question is how many will make it. I've been on the alp for seven years, but I've been doing this work for 18 years. Now it has become so difficult that we no longer see a future, it's impossible."

And what will the farmer do now? "We'll probably take over a grotto," he says, not without bitterness.

"This isn't working, I'm quitting."

Find out where you stand

Big, powerful, loud - opposition to livestock guarding dogs in the valley

In winter, the flocks of sheep arriving in the village are accompanied by livestock guarding dogs. This leads to problems with pedestrians.

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The occasional sound of an airplane - or the barking of the dogs guarding the Bernold family's herd. They are so-called Pyrenean Mountain Dogs that guard the sheep at the farm in Mels and on a pasture in Chur. Large, strong animals with a face that resembles that of a golden retriever.

The dogs are with the flock of sheep, which is fenced in. "They keep a very close eye on what's happening around the fence and defend the flock - even in the valley", says farmer and dog owner Olivia Bernold.

"There are always unpleasant encounters with walkers, runners or horse riders here", says Olivia Bernold. "People have already called the police because one of the guard dogs was outside the fenced-off grazing area", adds Martin Bernold. They find that difficult.

Protecting herds with dogs is a concept that the federal government has been pursuing since the turn of the century, when the wolf reappeared in Switzerland.

The dog owner is obliged to keep the dog under control at all times.

There are conflicting goals between safety, herd protection and wildlife conservation. "The top priority is for the dog owner to have the dog under control at all times", says St. Gallen official veterinarian Thomas Christen.

People who officially keep livestock guarding dogs are assessed. There are requirements and checks, as the official Swiss Herd Protection Centre writes. In summer, for example, the specialist centre also indicates on its website where guard dogs are in use so that hikers can find their way around.

"However, there are more and more dog owners who keep livestock guarding dogs privately", says Thomas Christen. They forego direct payments from the federal government. On the other hand, their animals are not inspected and monitored as closely as the official guard dogs. According to the official veterinarian, this comes with its own problems. 

According to the Swiss Herd Protection Centre, around 300 livestock guarding dogs are currently working on around 100 Swiss Alps as part of the national livestock protection programme, as well as on spring, autumn and home pastures before and after.

Following incidents involving livestock guarding dogs, the cantons can order measures ranging from educational measures and muzzling to confiscation or killing of the dog. Each canton has its own laws.

A dog that is responsible for a large herd cannot be a well-behaved and quiet lap dog.

"It's about the co-existence of agriculture and wolves", said Mathias Rüesch, managing director of the St. Gallen Farmers' Association, at an information event in March. "A dog that is responsible for a large herd cannot be a well-behaved and quiet lapdog."

At the event, Mila Yong from WWF Appenzell pleaded in favour of cooperation: "People in the valley have to accept that they may have to walk past meadows a little more carefully for a certain period of time."

"Livestock guarding dogs can be underchallenged in winter", observes the official veterinarian. Regular training is important.  He adds: "There were no more incidents with livestock guarding dogs than with other dogs in the canton of St. Gallen."

Bernolds' four dogs are trained to protect their herd practically on their own around the clock on the alp.

"We have a good relationship with the neighbours", say Olivia and Martin Bernold. "But we would like to see a little more understanding from those people who walk past a herd with guard dogs in the valley."

They go "z'Alp" again at the end of May. The four livestock guarding dogs they have had for eight years will also be with them. "We haven't had a single wolf kill since then."

Opposition to livestock guarding dogs

Can an anti-wolf collar be the miracle solution?

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Swiss researchers have developed a collar with pheromones that should repel wolves. It is currently being tested on 23 mountain pastures, and the initial results are promising.

Developed by two researchers from the cantons of Vaud and Ticino, the system works by mixing wolf pheromones with vegetable wax. The hardened mixture is placed in a box attached to the animal's collar, giving off a distinctive scent for three to four months.

These pheromones are breathed in by the wolf, which has receptors on which the pheromones interact, triggering a signal in the animal's brain. "It will believe to be in another wolf's territory or somewhere it cannot enter. It must therefore move away to not come into conflict with another animal", explains researcher Davide Staedler, director of the TIBIO company, in the RTS television programme 19h30.

The collar costs CHF 25. Today, 657 animals are taking part in this experiment and so far, only one animal wearing a wolf collar has fallen victim to the predator. This animal belonged to a breeder in the canton of Vaud.

"One of our cows had a collar, but we had just put it on her. Since then, we've put collars on the whole herd and we haven't had any new attacks", explains farmer Gérald Rime.

However, TIBIO and Studio Alpino, the companies developing the collars, remain cautious. "We don't want to raise any false hopes. We really want to make it clear that this is a test. The results are very positive, but we can't yet say that it works at all costs. We need the support of the authorities and the farmers so that we can build this project together", Davide Staedler explains.

Several cantons and the Federal Office for the Environment have already expressed an interest in the project. As for the researchers, they are waiting until autumn to analyse the data collected and further improve their collar.

A collar to prevent attacks

When wolves cross borders - a challenge for the authorities

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More and more wolves are on Switzerland's doorstep. According to estimates published in early August by the department Haute-Savoie, the number of wolves in neighbouring France has almost doubled within a year. The animal is now found almost everywhere in Haute-Savoie. And more and more of them are crossing border. 

The authorities are facing a problem: more and more wolves are migrating from France to Switzerland.

Until 2020, there were three cross-border packs in the area bordering France and Italy. Today there are an estimated eight. And that's new, says Nicolas Bourquin, head of the Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Service in the canton of Valais.

"Over the last two years, the number of packs has increased significantly, including in Valais and Graubünden. And based on the monitoring results, we realise that these packs are crossing the borders. That's something we've been working on for the past year and this year", he explains. 

Cross-border cooperation in terms of monitoring has improved. Among other things, it is a question of not counting wolves twice or knowing where they are. Haute-Savoie has recently intensified its monitoring measures, which makes it easier to exchange information with Switzerland.

However, collaboration reaches its limits when it comes to deciding which wolf should be shot, as the authorities in the individual countries do not agree with each other. 

There are two very different strategies here. In Switzerland, the rules are stricter: you can't shoot just any wolf, and you need a reason, e.g. if it has attacked farm animals. In France, a certain percentage of wolves - 19% of the population - can be shot.

In addition, responsibilities are regulated differently. In Switzerland, gamekeepers are responsible for so-called "regulation" shootings. The situation is different in France. Stéphane Anselme-Martin, head of department at the French Biodiversity Agency in Haute-Savoie, explains:

"We don't let each region decide for itself about shooting. We adhere to the national regulations. Wolf shootings are exceptions that can be carried out by breeders so that they can defend themselves under certain conditions." We don't have the opportunity to change things, or for them to be different from one department to another. We follow that protocol."

Last year, a female wolf from a cross-border pack was shot by French hunters, although she would have been protected in Switzerland, just four kilometres away. Such a situation could happen again with the increase in cross-border packs. Something that worries the Swiss Wolf Group. According to Isabelle Germanier, spokesperson for the group in French-speaking Switzerland, the consequences of shooting in France could be serious, especially during the reproduction phase.

"If the parent animals are removed from the pack at this point, the young animals could display undesirable behaviour and then bring it to Switzerland."

Another concern is that the same animal may be shot at from both sides of the border. To prevent several wolves from being killed as a result, communication is crucial and must be intensified.

Wolf conservation organisations are also calling for a change in the French shooting policy. France is due to adopt its next wolf plan for the period 2024-2029. The organisations fear that the percentage of wolves that may be killed will then be increased once again.

Cross-border packs - a new challenge

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