Secure your grazing animals: Free seminar against wolf attacks!

Secure your grazing animals: Free seminar against wolf attacks!

A pressing question concerns grazing animal farmers in the Swabian-Franconian Forest: How can the protection of grazing animals against the growing wolf population be improved? The upcoming seminar on June 30th in Mainhardt, which is organized by the Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park, the Society for the Protection of Wolves and the Patura company, was aimed at this topic. The seminar, which lasts from 9:30 a.m. to around 4 p.m., offers participants the opportunity to find out about effective protective measures free of charge. However, places are limited to 30 participants, with registration closing on June 16th. Those interested can register by email to kuhnweiler.hof@t-online.de.

So far, the wolf has mainly been seen in the Rems-Murr district as a transient, but there are strong indications that the species could also settle in the Stuttgart area. Wolves have been roaming Germany again since 1998, and according to the latest counts, there are around 209 packs living in Germany, with most based in Brandenburg and Lower Saxony. While wolves cause damage to livestock - over 1,200 incidents were recorded in 2023, affecting over 5,700 animals, including almost 5,000 sheep - their conservation also has its environmental benefits, helping to regulate wildlife populations. This fact becomes all the more important the more grazing areas are furnished for the wolf.

Focus on protective measures

Regarding protective measures, a reliable fence is highlighted as one of the basic requirements. However, there are many challenges: The German Farmers' Association points out that wolf-proof fencing is not practical in many areas. Therefore, grazing livestock owners are calling for hunting regulation of the wolf population in order to selectively remove problematic wolves in particular.

The speakers at the seminar are experts in the field, including Pia Hartmann from the FVA, Siegbert Lamparter from Patura and Peter Herold from the Society for the Protection of Wolves. They will provide participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical exercises to better protect grazing animals and reduce fear of wolf attacks.

In addition, the seminar will take a look at the use of the most modern herd protection measures such as electric fences and herd protection dogs. Although these could help reduce the number of attacks, they also come with significant costs. However, it is important to examine these investments in order to protect grazing animals in the long term.

The discussion about wolves in Germany is also being led by politicians and nature conservation organizations. There is an increasing need for discussion on the topic of herd protection and the associated compensation. The wolf is once again part of the German fauna, and in order to find the balance between species protection and the interests of grazing livestock farmers, initiatives like the seminar in Mainhardt are urgently needed.

The Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park is not only a beautiful environment for leisure activities, but it is also in its interest to address the concerns of local farmers and the harmonious coexistence between humans and wolves. It would be a shame if nature's disease status were jeopardized through ignorance or misunderstanding. The protection of grazing animals is therefore a central issue for the region.

Time is of the essence and grazing livestock farmers are challenged: let us look after our beautiful nature and at the same time protect the valuable animals that inhabit it. If you are interested, you should take the chance and stop by the seminar to get the best tips first hand.

For further information about the Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park, visit the nature park website. The seminar could be the first step towards a secure future for our pasture farming!

Read more about the challenges of grazing livestock and wolves on landwirtschaft.de.

All information about the seminar in Mainhardt can be found at krzbb.de.