Predators in the forest

Three wolves are currently roaming Styria

Wolves are being spotted more and more frequently in the local forests, while bears have not been seen in Styria for some time. In Frohnleiten and in the Schneealm area, there have already been sightings in the first few months of the new year, which have also been genetically confirmed. 

Sightings of wolves are on the increase. The number of animals killed by wolves also increased significantly last year, leading to a new regulation in December making it easier to shoot "at-risk wolves" and "wolves causing damage".

"We currently have a maximum of three different individuals in Styria. Two of them are genetically proven. And the third wolf could also be one of the other two wolves. This is because the predators travel very widely," says Klaus Tiefnig, Styria's wildlife ecology and hunting officer. A male wolf has been spotted several times in the Schneealm area and seems to move back and forth between Lower Austria and Styria. It has also been genetically recorded.  

Currently only "well-behaved wolves" on the move
"There have been no livestock kills in Styria so far in 2024, only wildlife kills," says Andrea Bund, European Commissioner for Nature Conservation. "It's still quiet. So far we only have well-behaved wolves. But the sheep are also all still in the barn," Tiefnig comments on the current situation.  

A wolf was also spotted in Frohnleiten, in the district of Graz-Umgebung. It has killed a wild animal. According to Andrea Bund, there have also been various sightings, but these could not be confirmed. "There is also a video from the district of Voitsberg of an alleged wolf sighting. However, this could not be definitively confirmed by wolf experts from Vienna who were called in. It could also be a wolf-like dog." 

Bears are making themselves scarce
In April 2021, a brown bear fell into a photo trap in Leutschach in the Leibnitz district and in June 2022, hunters in Stainz discovered footprints of a young bear roaming the woods. However, no bears have visited us since then.