A little more than 40% of the wolves killed this winter in Valais did not belong to the targeted packs, and a Grisons gamekeeper killed three lynxes which he confused with wolves. These shots, supposed to protect the herds, raise questions. For Nicolas Bourquin, responsible for wildlife in Valais, these errors are inherent to the legal framework.
According to a genetic analysis revealed by Blick, eleven wolves out of the twenty-seven killed last winter in Valais did not belong to the packs that were targeted. According to Nicolas Bourquin, head of the Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Service in Valais, these “errors” are part of the game.
“It is in any case part of the legal framework,” he explains at Forum on Tuesday. “That is to say that at the time of shooting, it is impossible to determine precisely which wolf is shot, even if it is within the authorized perimeter.”
Precise identification impossible at the time of shooting
Unless a wolf has a specific characteristic, such as a particular color, wildlife wardens, who mainly intervene at night with thermal cameras, do not have the details that an autopsy would offer, he continues. “Additionally, no DNA testing is available in the field, making precise identification impossible.” This is why any wolf present within the authorized shooting perimeter can be killed, as provided by law.
In view of these wolves being killed by mistake – the “collateral damage” of regulatory measures – are these really effective? For the head of the Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Service in Valais, it is still a little early to say, because only one exercise has been carried out so far. “We are in the process of doing a second exercise now until January 31, with the 2024-2025 regulation,” he underlines, specifying that the damage figures are published every week on the service website.
“To date, around 70 fewer sheep have been killed by wolves compared to the previous year, when the total was 401, compared to 331 to date,” he explains. However, he emphasizes that these figures do not allow us to conclude on the effectiveness of the shots, because several variables come into play, such as the reduction in the number of sheep estimated this year and the movement of game, particularly ungulates. He adds that, to obtain definitive conclusions, it will be necessary to wait several years and analyze these elements from a multifactorial angle.
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Text for the web: Fabien Grenon
Swiss
