25 Years of Wolf Presence in Switzerland: an Interim Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
KORA Bericht Nr. 91e December 2020 25 Jahre Wolf in derISSN 1422-5123 25 years Schweizof wolf presence in Switzerland: Eine Zwischenbilanz an interim assessment RAUBTIERÖKOLOGIE UND WILDTIERMANAGEMENT RAUBTIERÖKOLOGIE UND WILDTIERMANAGEMENT Impressum KORA Bericht Nr. 91e 25 years of wolf presence in Switzerland: an interim assessment Authors Kristina Vogt, Manuela von Arx, Ralph Manz, Fridolin Zimmermann, Florin Kunz and Urs Breitenmoser External authors AGRIDEA: Daniel Mettler, Daniela Hilfiker, Riccarda Lüthi and Felix Hahn (Chapter 4.2 and associated Boxes; revision of Chapter 3.1 and Box 3.1.1) Laboratory for Conservation Biology, University of Lausanne: Luca Fumagalli (Box 2.2.1) Conservation Genetics Group, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum: Carsten Nowak (Box 3.4.3) Editors Kristina Vogt und Urs Breitenmoser Translation Malini Pittet, revised by Kristina Vogt and Manuela von Arx Layout Kaspar Breitenmoser Publication Document available in PDF format at www.kora.ch 02 Print document of the German and French versions for a fee, to be ordered from KORA Foundation, Thunstr. 31, CH-3074 Muri, by phone +41 (0)31 951 70 40 or by e-mail: [email protected] Cover photo Members of the first Swiss wolf pack in the Calanda massif, photographed on 16.10.2013. © René Gadient, game warden, "Office for Hunting and Fishing Canton of Grisons" Suggested citation: KORA Foundation. 2020. 25 years of wolf presence in Switzerland: an interim assessment. KORA Report Nr. 91e, 80 pp. ISSN 1422-5123, © KORA Foundation December 2020 Gender-neutral wording KORA considers that each of the professions mentioned in this report includes both women and men. Acknowledgements We would like to thank the MAVA Foundation (Learning & Sharing Grants) and the Lottery Foundation of the canton of Bern for their financial support for this report. We would also like to thank Niklaus Blatter and Arie Trouwborst for proofreading vari- ous texts, as well as Nicolas Bourquin, Mirjam Pewsner, Franziska Scheuber and Andrea von May for their help in processing the data. Our thanks also go to Caroline Nienhuis and Christian Stauffer for proofreading the entire original report in German. Thanks are also due to all those who provided photographic material for this report. Finally, we would also like to thank the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) for its financial support of the Swiss wolf monitoring programme, as well as all the cantonal hunting administrations, game wardens and people who, since the wolf’s return to Switzerland, have sent us their observations, photos and genetic samples. 25 years of wolf presence in Switzerland: an interim assessment Table of contents Table of contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 04 Box 1.1 Portrait of the wolf .......................................................................................................................... 07 Box 1.2 The KORA Foundation ..................................................................................................................... 08 2. The wolf story so far ................................................................................................................................................. 09 2.1 Developement of wolf populations in Europe .................................................................................................. 09 2.2 Chronology of the recolonsation of Switzerland by the wolf ......................................................................... 11 Box 2.2.1 Genetic analyses .......................................................................................................................... 14 Box 2.2.2 Monitoring methods .................................................................................................................... 17 3. Challenges ................................................................................................................................................................... 19 3.1 Livestock predation ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Box 3.1.1 Development of sheep and goat farming in Switzerland ........................................................... 21 3.2 Fear of the wolf ................................................................................................................................................. 23 3.3 Competition with hunters ................................................................................................................................. 26 Box 3.3.1 The role of wolves in the ecosystem .......................................................................................... 28 3.4 The wolf in law and society .............................................................................................................................. 30 Box 3.4.1 The wolf in law – major milestones ........................................................................................... 31 03 Box 3.4.2 The Swiss Wolf Concept ............................................................................................................. 32 Box 3.4.3 Wolf-dog hybrids – fake news, myths and scientific facts ........................................................ 37 4. Possible solutions ..................................................................................................................................................... 39 4.1 Compensation for attacks on livestock ............................................................................................................ 39 4.2 Livestock protection measures ........................................................................................................................ 40 Box 4.2.1 Planning alpine sheep grazing in the canton of Valais ............................................................... 42 Box 4.2.2 Livestock protection on Alp Ramoz – a success story ................................................................ 45 4.3 Legal killing of wolves ...................................................................................................................................... 49 4.4 Collaboration with stakeholders and interest groups ..................................................................................... 52 Box 4.4.1 Wolf working group in the canton of Bern ................................................................................. 54 4.5 Communication about the wolf ........................................................................................................................ 57 5. Perspectives ............................................................................................................................................................... 61 5.1 How many wolves should live in Switzerland?................................................................................................ 61 5.2 How is Europe managing the wolf populations? ............................................................................................. 64 5.3 Wolf, lynx, bear and golden jackal in the same habitat .................................................................................. 66 6. Conclusions and recommendations .................................................................................................................... 68 Box 6.1 What is biodiversity? ...................................................................................................................... 69 References ....................................................................................................................................................................... 72 25 years of wolf presence in Switzerland: an interim assessment 1. Introduction 1. Introduction In 1994 and 1995, suspicions built up that a wolf may have indeed perceive the wolf as the irrevocable reflection of his been responsible for attacks on sheep herds in the Lower Va- most devoted and faithful companion, which we even use to- lais. In February 1996, a photograph of the "Beast of the Val day for the protection of our herds against their wild brethren Ferret" finally provided evidence of this (Fig. 1.1; Landry 1997). (see Chapter 4.2). Since twenty-five years, the wolf is once again resident in Switzerland (see Chapter 2.2). It is now time to take stock of In any case, wolves were hunted relentlessly and were extir- the situation. pated from Switzerland towards the end of the 19th century (Fig. 1.2; Etter 1992). All means were used to achieve this: ri- No other animal arouses the spirits or causes such a rift in fles, traps and poison. However, the wolf (and other large car- the population as the wolf. There has been much speculation nivores) would probably not have been extirpated so quickly about the reasons why it affects us so much (see Chapter 3.2). if its habitat and prey populations had not been destroyed at Until the end of the Middle Ages, the worst atrocities were at- the same time. Towards the end of the 19th century, Switzer- tributed to wolves, often in connection with acts of witchcraft land's large mammals were practically eradicated: ibex, wild and werewolves (for example Bretscher 1906). Since the Age boar, red deer and roe deer had almost disappeared, even of Enlightenment, the descriptions on the subject