Wolves

Wild animals in distress: What to do?
StädteRegion Aachen has activated a hotline telephone number. It can be reached in emergencies daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 0241 5198-2600

The wolf is one of the internationally "strictly protected" animal species and is subject to the strictest protection category under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. It is therefore forbidden to catch, injure or kill wolves. Hunting wolves is therefore prohibited without exception. In order to prevent wolves from becoming accustomed to humans and training them to behave unnaturally (so-called habituation), feeding or luring the animals is also explicitly covered by the prohibitions.

Are there wolves in Aachen?

After being considered extinct in Europe for almost 180 years, the wolf is gradually returning to old habitats. Since 2016, reports of wolf sightings have also increased in NRW and wolf territories with sedentary animals have been designated. A wolf territory is designated when wolves are firmly established, i.e. when there are multiple confirmed sightings of an individual over a longer period of time. The wolf areas are designated with a large-scale protection zone, the so-called buffer zone. The city of Aachen, together with the towns of Eschweiler and Stolberg, is located in the "buffer zone" of the "Eifel-Hohes Venn" wolf territory designated in 2019.

In mid-January 2022, a wolf-like animal was spotted in Aachen's city forest. On the night of January 15, 2022, sheep were attacked by a wolf on the outskirts of Aachen. One lamb was killed and largely eaten, the ewe later had to be put down by a vet. The city of Aachen reported the incident in the local media, forwarded the information to the relevant authorities and held talks with various user groups. The NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV) has since confirmed that the wolf was a real wolf. Using genetic samples, the Senckenberg Research Institute in Gelnhausen was able to identify a wolf as the culprit. The male wolf with the identification number GW1924m comes from the Hechtel-Eksel pack in Flanders, Belgium, where it was first genetically recorded on October 28, 2020. This pack, with parents GW1479f ("Noella") and GW979m ("August"), had four pups for the first time in 2020, two of which were killed in traffic accidents in Belgium in October 2020.

In mid-February, the City of Aachen received several sightings of alleged wolves. In one case, the animal was photographed. After the information was forwarded by the lower nature conservation authority to the LANUV, the information was evaluated as a genuine wolf case after evaluation of the image material and published in the official database: List of confirmed wolves

A permanent settlement of wolves in cities such as Aachen is unlikely and not to be expected, despite the presence of wolves, as the wolf, unlike wild animals such as foxes or wild boars, is not a cultural follower. Wolves usually leave the parent pack by the end of their second year and go in search of their own territory, whereby they are extremely persistent runners and can cover up to 70 kilometers in one night.

Wolf seen: what to do?

Even in an established wolf territory, it is extremely unlikely that direct encounters between wolves and humans will occur. Attacks by wolves on humans are not documented in Germany and there are no known cases of aggressive behavior towards humans. If wolves perceive a human, they do not always flee directly, but usually retreat slowly. The sighting of a wolf is therefore not an immediate cause for concern. In the event of an encounter with a wolf, the following rules of conduct should be observed:

• Do not try to approach, feed or touch the wolf. This increases the risk of habituation to humans, especially in young animals, which can cause them to lose their natural fear of humans.
• Do not run away, but stand still and give the animal time to retreat. If you want to increase the distance yourself, you can walk slowly backwards.
• By speaking loudly, clapping your hands or waving your arms, you can attract the wolf's attention and drive it away.
• Dogs should always be kept on a leash.

You can report sightings of wolves to the lower nature conservation authority(umwelt@mail.aachen.de). So that the information can be used accordingly, the details

• Who (contact details of the person who spotted the wolf)
• When (day and approximate time),
• Where (as precisely as possible, if necessary marked on a map),
• Photo evidence (if available) required.

The lower nature conservation authority forwards the information to the body responsible for wolf monitoring. If images are available, they can be evaluated by the LANUV. If the information is confirmed, it will be included as official evidence in the state's database of wolf records. The information is publicly available and can be accessed via the following link: List of confirmed wolves.

Animals torn or injured: what now?

Livestock damage, compensation and preventive measures to protect livestock - responsibilities and contact persons

As the city of Aachen is located in the buffer zone of an official wolf area, grants for prevention and herd protection measures and compensation payments can be awarded under the Wolf Funding Directive, for which the Director of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture has been responsible as the state commissioner since January 1, 2022.

Livestock tears and compensation

If you discover a livestock kill, please inform the responsible wolf consultants within 24 hours. A list of the wolf consultants responsible for Aachen can be viewed here: Wolf management

The wolf advisors immediately pass on information about attacks by wolves on pets and livestock to the district regulatory authority and the responsible local regulatory authority of the city/municipality and to the LANUV, document the circumstances of the discovery and the external injuries of killed or injured pets and livestock with the consent of the animal owner and prepare the documentation in accordance with the specifications of the LANUV. Alternatively, the LANUV can also be contacted:

On weekdays: 02361 3050,

Outside business hours and at weekends: 0201 714488

In contrast to an official wolf area, compensation can also be granted in a buffer zone without prior preventive measures having been taken. However, the following conditions must be met:

a) the damage must be reported to the State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) or a regional wolf consultant appointed by the LANUV within 24 hours of the keeper becoming aware of it,

b) in the case of an official determination made by the LANUV, the wolf has been clearly identified as the polluter or can be identified as the polluter with reasonable certainty, and

c) an official valuation has been carried out by the competent authority.

Compensation payments, so-called Equity payments can be made at 100% for the officially determined market value of livestock and domestic animals (including hunting dogs, livestock guarding dogs and herding dogs) killed directly by the wolf, as well as livestock and domestic animals (including hunting dogs, livestock guarding dogs and herding dogs) that subsequently die as a result of a wolf attack or are killed for animal welfare reasons, as well as losses due to discarding (stillbirths and miscarriages), expenses for a veterinarian in the case of treatment or euthanization of injured animals, including expenses for veterinary certificates and medication, property damage caused by a wolf attack on fences and protective devices, expenses for the examination of livestock and domestic animals found dead by the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office and expenses for the fees for animal valuation.

Further information can be found on the website of the Chamber of Agriculture/Compensation

Preventive measures

Due to the location of the city of Aachen in a buffer zone, herd protection measures can be financed 100%. Since January 1, 2022, the Director of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture has been responsible as the state representative. Livestock protection measures can include expenses for securing livestock holdings of sheep and goats as well as game by purchasing or optimizing existing standard protective fences together with accessories (in particular pasture fencing equipment and battery) as well as expenses for the purchase and training of suitable livestock guarding dogs (for example Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Maremmano Abruzzese).

Detailed information on the application process can be found on the website of the Chamber of Agriculture. There are also official livestock protection advisors from the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture who can answer questions on practical livestock protection.

Chamber of Agriculture/Herd Protection

Further topics