Šumava National Park permits controlled shooting of wolves within its territory
Šumava National Park, in the southeast of Bohemia, will now allow the restricted shooting of its wolf population. Permission will be given to authorised individuals, to be carried out in instances of wolves that have become a danger to humans.
From this month, new regulations will be in place in the Šumava National Park, which allow for the controlled killing of the park’s wolves. It is believed that there are currently at least eight wolf packs living in the area, and there is a risk that these usually shy animals will pose a threat to locals or the million tourists who visit the park every year.
Martin Pazourek, deputy director of the park’s administration, explained the thinking behind the regulations:
“The emergency plan is a very complex and detailed document, in which its authors tried to figure out almost all possible variants of the behaviour of a wolf that somehow encounters a human. It describes situations and procedures, from the everyday observation of an animal at a distance, to the most critical, which is an attack on a person without an obvious cause and without provocation.”
The contingency plan is determined by the Ministry of the Environment. Jan Dvořák, spokesman for the Šumava National Park, stated that any problematic behaviour by wolves in the territory of the park should be reported the authorities immediately. Park employees have reported thirty-five incidents involving wolves so far this year, usually in which wolves have harmed local farmers’ livestock. The reappearance of wolves in certain parts of Czechia remains a controversial issue. Following their eradication in the nineteenth century, they began to return to eastern parts of the country in the 1990s. Small populations can now be found in the mountainous border regions around the country, and their carnivorous diet potentially threatens livestock. However, official financial support has been made available to improve security on farms.
