Twelve sheep killed Canton of St. Gallen releases wolf for shooting

SDA

4.7.2024 - 18:07

Ten sheep were killed by a wolf in the municipality of Flums SG.
Ten sheep were killed by a wolf in the municipality of Flums SG.
 Keystone (Themenbild)

After a wolf killed twelve sheep in the municipality of Flums SG, the canton has now responded by issuing a shooting permit. It is unclear which wolf is responsible.

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  • The canton of St. Gallen has issued a shooting permit after a wolf killed twelve sheep.
  • It is still unclear which wolf killed the herd animals.
  • According to the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fishing, a single wolf or a pair of wolves are the most likely culprits.

A wolf killed twelve sheep on the Halde alp in Schilstal in the municipality of Flums SG on Sunday. Although it is not yet clear which wolf is responsible for the killings, the canton has issued a shooting permit.

Gamekeepers took DNA samples after the killings, as the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fishing of the Canton of St. Gallen announced on Wednesday. The samples have yet to be analyzed. The animals were guarded by livestock guarding dogs. The "St. Galler Tagblatt" and the news portal "FM1 Today" first reported on the cracks and the shooting permit.

The shooting permit is valid for 60 days and for an area in the immediate vicinity of the livestock tears on June 30. This would ensure that the wolf responsible for the kills would be shot.

Conditions for shooting fulfilled according to the office

According to the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fishing, the canton can authorize the shooting of a wolf if it has killed at least six farm animals in its territory within four months. A further condition for a cull is that damage has already been caused by wolves in the past. This was the case in the Schilstal. The shooting was also justified because the animals had been protected with appropriate measures.

According to the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fishing, a single wolf or a pair of wolves are the most likely culprits. Shooting may only be carried out by cantonal wildlife authorities, by third parties expressly commissioned by the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fishing or by hunters with hunting rights who have leased hunting grounds within the shooting perimeter.