According to the country’s knowledge so far, the animals fell victim to at least one wolf. According to a report in the online edition of the “Kleine Zeitung”, the state said that after the assessment of the sheep cracks “it can be assumed with a high degree of probability”. Another five sheep had to be killed, six were injured and 35 are still missing.
Only a few days ago, the farmers had driven their animals up to the pasture. Now they apparently had to bring the sheep back to safety. “The rumors then came true, so that the farmers drove the sheep away because of the cracks in the Tilliacher valley,” Obertilliach Mayor Matthias Scherer told ORF Tirol.
Shooting permits for “harmful wolves”
The black-red Tyrolean state government had already issued three shooting permits for “harmful wolves” in East Tyrol. A wolf can currently be shot in 100 of 155 hunting areas in East Tyrol. The wolf as a predator regularly causes emotions to run high in the state, and farmers complain about numerous sheep kills. Last February, the majority of the state parliament passed an amendment to the law that would allow killing by decree and no longer by decree as before. Previous decisions had been overturned by the court several times after environmental protection organizations had successfully appealed them. The shooting ordinance now applies generally to a wolf – and not to a specific individual.
