WOLF ATTACKS ON DOMESTIC ANIMALS

EFFICACY OF MANAGEMENT MEASURES CONSIDERING SPATIAL AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

KORA began this common project together with AGRIDEA in January 2020.

Wolf in Central Switzerland, 2018.

© KORA

Goal(s)

The project aims to assess the influence of management measures such as livestock protection dogs and lethal removal of damage causing wolves on the total number of killed livestock in Switzerland.

Methods

To achieve the goal, the available data since 2004 on wolf presence, lethal removals, number of killed livestock, availability of livestock and game, utilised pastures and pastoral systems, as well as applied livestock protection measures will be compiled and analysed. The analyses will include the social organisation of wolves (pack, pair, resident/transient individual) and habitat characteristics (vegetation, terrain structure).

Expected results and publications

The results shall serve the federal and cantonal authorities in defining regional priorities, applying management measures (livestock protection, lethal removal) more efficiently, and to evaluate their efficacy.

The results of the project were published in the following report:

Vogt K., Derron-Hilfiker D., Kunz F., Zumbach L., Reinhart S., Manz R. & Mettler D. 2022. Wirksamkeit von Herdenschutzmassnahmen und Wolfsabschüssen unter Berücksichtigung räumlicher und biologischer Faktoren. Bericht in Zusammenarbeit mit AGRIDEA. KORA Bericht Nr. 105. KORA, Muri bei Bern, Schweiz. 43 pp.

Project Information

The project is financially supported the Federal Office for the Environment.

Projekt duration: 2020-2021

Study area: whole of Switzerland

Project partner: AGRIDEA (Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas)

Contact KORA: Dr. Kristina Vogt