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Haute-Marne Wolf Crisis Deepens After Christmas Attack Kills 19 Sheep

Officials have opened an investigation, with farmers pressing for tougher predator control.

Overview

  • A nighttime surveillance video from the Sarrey pasture shows a wolf shortly before the slaughter, which authorities describe as the department’s most severe case since the species’ return.
  • The French Biodiversity Office visited the site to collect hair samples and examine bite marks to determine whether one or multiple wolves were involved.
  • The prefecture reports 191 wolf-attributed attacks in 2025 causing more than 800 ovine victims, compared with 10 attacks in 2024.
  • Monitoring earlier this year documented local reproduction, with camera traps identifying nine wolves in late summer, including seven pups.
  • Local farm unions plan mobilizations and seek professional removal operations, while 15 shepherds hold defensive-shooting permits and a national rule easing such defense is slated to take effect on January 1, 2026.