"The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans," Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said on 4 September, announcing plans to review the species' protection status. Responding to numerous appeals from farmers, the EC began collecting data from scientists and local communities on the numbers and impacts of one of Europe's few predators.

The species is now strictly protected under the Habitats Directive, adopted in 1992, which prohibits the deliberate capture or killing of wolves in the wild. Poland enacted this legislation in 1998, which helped returning wolves from the brink of extinction. WWF Poland estimates that there are now around 2,000 of them in our country.

Nevertheless, the European wolf population continues to be threatened by human activity. Poaching, road accidents and loss of natural habitats are the main factors that pose a threat to its survival. The construction of new settlements, farms and roads makes it increasingly difficult for the animals to migrate in search for new places to live and find vital food resources.

The wolf is considered a problem species. As we can read on the WWF Poland website, those wolves that do not have access to sufficient natural food due to human activities prey on inadequately protected livestock. This behaviour causes conflict situations between cattle breeders and wolves.

"In order to counteract the damage caused by wolves, the WWF Poland foundation has been providing breeders with specialised electric shepherd kits equipped with solar panels (about 140 sets in total) and shepherd guard dogs (Tatre Shepherd Dogs - about 38 dogs in total) for years," reads the foundation's website.

There have been comments that the EC's interest in a possible change in the scope of legal protection for wolves increased after a wolf killed a 30-year-old pony belonging to the EU President Ursula von der Leyen in September 2022. However, the commissioner is of course not the only landowner in conflict with these strong but defenceless to humans animals.

At a press conference on 4 September in Brussels, the European Commission did not answer whether the possible revision would include permits for wolf hunting. The EC’s spokesman Adalbert Jahnz only stated that the EC is "hoping to get a full and accurate, up-to-date, picture of the situation in order to be able to take any further measures that are necessary".

Source: euronews.com, wwf.pl, pap.pl