Court overturns authorization to shoot wolves

The planned shooting of a wolf in the district of Bautzen has been halted for the time being. As the Dresden Administrative Court announced, the animal may not be killed for the time being. Last Friday, the court granted an urgent appeal against the special permit issued by the Bautzen district authority.

The authority had issued a permit for the "lethal removal of an animal of the wolf species" from the so-called Ralbitz pack in Upper Lusatia almost three weeks ago, ordering immediate execution. This followed more than 30 dead sheep and goats in the Ralbitz-Rosenthal area in January and February, which were classified with "sufficient certainty" as wolf kills. The permit was valid until 8 April at the latest and was limited to a certain area.

Criticism of protective measures: Environmental association lodges appeal

An environmental association based in Lower Saxony had lodged an appeal against the decision and sought interim legal protection before the Dresden Administrative Court. In their view, the decision was unlawful because, among other things, reasonable herd protection measures had not been sufficiently examined and alternatives to culling had not been considered.

The court followed this argument. The exceptional authorization was already unlawful due to insufficient certainty, according to the chamber. It was not clear to which specific spatial area the permission to shoot referred. The order was also likely to be inadmissible on substantive law grounds. According to the Saxon Wolf Management Ordinance, it must be proven, among other things, that a wolf has overcome reasonable protective measures twice within two weeks and injured or killed animals in the process.

Lack of evidence and alternatives

The district authority had not provided sufficient evidence of these requirements, according to the court. Nor had it been shown that shooting any animal from the herd would be suitable for preventing further damage. In addition, there was no examination of reasonable alternatives such as the use of livestock guarding dogs, electric fences or night pens. The decision also failed to include information on the affected farms and their local conditions.

An appeal against the decision can be lodged with the Saxon Higher Administrative Court within two weeks.