Wolf hunting will be allowed in Germany under legislation passed by the lower house of parliament in response to a rapidly growing population and a sharp rise in attacks on livestock. The legislation would permit Germany’s 16 states to allow wolf hunting from July to October in regions where the population of the animals is particularly dense. That change came after a debate triggered in 2022 when a wolf killed a pony named Dolly belonging to the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, near Hanover. In rural regions, the previous strict rules on hunting wolves had long been cited as conservation run amok, which the AfD seized on as a vote winner. A 2022 study found a predictive link between wolf attacks and far-right voting behaviour in affected regions of Germany.

Source: The Guardian March 05, 2026 19:05 UTC