Three dead cattle

Another wolf released for shooting in Tyrol

Another wolf released for shooting (symbolic image)(Bild: DENNIS WACHTEL FOTOGRAFIE, stock.adobe.com)

Three dead cattle were found in Aurach near Kitzbühel on Tuesday - they had died. A wolf is likely to have been the culprit, as emerged on Wednesday following an assessment by the local official veterinarian.

Despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the protection of wolves in Austria, the black-red Tyrolean state government once again approved the shooting of a predator on Thursday. The reason: three dead cattle (fallen) were found in an alpine pasture area in the municipality of Aurach near Kitzbühel on Tuesday. At least two other cattle were injured. After an official veterinarian's assessment, wolf involvement was suspected.

Shooting order for eight weeks
The now issued culling order for a wolf came into force on Thursday and was valid for a period of eight weeks within a radius of ten kilometers from the location of the incident. According to the state, the hunting community has already been informed.

Last week, the ECJ ruled that the ban on wolf hunting in Austria remains in place. The starting point of the proceedings was a complaint from animal welfare organizations after the Tyrolean provincial government issued a decision to shoot a wolf in 2022.

Five wolves shot so far
In Tyrol, on the other hand, "no immediate effects" were seen and problem wolves would continue to be shot, the provincial government emphasized. The shooting regulations had proved their worth, "and we will continue along this path consistently", explained Josef Geisler (ÖVP), the deputy governor responsible and state councillor for agriculture.