Overview

• A coordinated initiative by the governments of Sachsen, Bayern, Hessen and Berlin has urged the federal cabinet to notify Brussels that German wolves have reached a favourable conservation status under the Habitats Directive.
• The states want to overhaul outdated evaluation benchmarks and shift wolf regulation into state and federal hunting laws to facilitate regional population management.
• Hesse reported a sharp decline with only three wolf territories and four individuals registered in the current monitoring year.
• Livestock producers say they face delays of up to two years in securing subsidies for nonlethal herd protection and are demanding simpler procedures along with lethal control options.
• Conservation groups BUND and NABU accuse the letter’s authors of ignoring scientific data and politicising wolf policy, warning that targeted culls could undermine long-term coexistence strategies.