Commissioned by the Farmers Union to the Institute of Innsbruck
(ANSA) – BOLZANO, 07 JUNE – 82% of South Tyroleans are against the “wild spread of the wolf”. This is supported by the Südtiroler Bauernbund Farmers’ Union on the basis of a survey commissioned from the Imad market research institute in Innsbruck.
“Only one in four people in South Tyrol believes coexistence with the predator is possible – reports the Bauernbund – The question of safety is deeply felt: three out of four respondents believe that wolves represent a danger to humans. 86% of South Tyroleans is in favor of eliminating wolves to protect villages and pastures”.
As part of the survey, 590 people were questioned online or by telephone in March and April 2023. When asked which habitat wolves should occupy, a majority of 60% think that wolves have no place in the province of Bolzano, but “belong to wild natural landscapes”. Another 33% think predators should only be present in selected or limited areas of the province.
Only 4% believe that wolves should live in South Tyrol without restrictions.
Wolves are increasingly perceived as a threat to human safety: three out of four respondents (77%) believe that wolves represent a danger to humans and 81% believe that the danger mainly affects children.
Ultimately, the Bauernbund points out, “the vast majority of the population does not believe in living with wolves”, while for 88% of those interviewed, the conservation of alpine pastures with free-ranging animals must have priority over the wolf. The proportion of those demanding more leeway from wolves to protect the management of alpine pastures is about equally high (86%). (HANDLE).
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