Animals: Wolves can initially be hunted in the Westerwald

After numerous killing events, the wolf “GW2478m” may initially be hunted in certain hunting areas in the Westerwald district. The Koblenz Administrative Court has rejected an urgent application from an environmental association against the corresponding hunting permit.

The Westerwald district had given temporary approval to the wolf hunt in September and ordered immediate enforcement. This was justified by the threat of economic damage.

The Koblenz Administrative Court has now decided that the requirements for the hunting permit were met in a preliminary examination. The wolf “GW2478m” has caused a total of 31 tear events in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate since 2023. At least 123 farm animals were killed or injured. In other cases, it can be assumed that the so-called Greifenstein pack led by the wolf was responsible for the attacks.

However, it remains unclear whether the approval was granted without any discretionary errors. It was not possible to conclusively clarify in the expedited procedure whether higher electrified livestock protection fences were an equally suitable and reasonable means of protecting grazing animals.

When weighing up interests, the court gave priority to the enforcement interest. The wolf's protection status, which has now been downgraded, should also be taken into account. In addition, the German wolf population is in a favorable state of conservation. According to the Lynx and Wolf Coordination Center, the killing has no lasting negative impact on the regional population.

In contrast, the threat of damage to grazing animals must be taken into account. The hunting behavior of the wolf “GW2478m” increased significantly in 2026. Further cracking events are therefore likely, according to the court.

The environmental association appealed against the administrative court's decision to the Rhineland-Palatinate Higher Administrative Court. However, the administrative court announced that the current decision will apply until the next instance decides differently.