livestock

In our previous articles, which you can read on the “blog” page for those who haven't yet consulted them, we took an in-depth look at the effectiveness of protection and the many factors that can influence or impact it, far beyond the statistics of annual losses due to wolves, which is just one factor among many. The reality is that today, if we really wanted to assess the effectiveness of protection in our country, it would be mandatory to take into account all the factors mentioned in our previous articles, especially the evolution of means of protection on each farm. We're talking here about changes made over the course of the year or compared with previous years (increase, stagnation or decrease in the methods used), but also those affecting the so-called live protection, i.e. the guardian dogs (abilities and interest in protection, physiological and psychological state, possible health problems in the form of illnesses or injuries, female in heat within a pack requiring the removal of individuals, concerns linked to potentially advanced age, etc.). And, of course, everything to do with the wolf and the pack present in the summering areas (territory management, evolution/modification of numbers, human intervention through regulation, character/personality of individuals, understanding of the territories and buffer zones by the authorities, etc.). But there's one element that we don't talk about enough, yet which is of enormous importance in everything to do with protection : the human being !

We continue our series on regulation, with the second part of our article on the effectiveness of protection methods. We'll be taking a look at what we call "living" protection, i.e. the use of living creatures such as guardian dogs. This will give you a better understanding of all the challenges faced by farmers with this type of protection, which is constantly evolving, and also help you discover just how contraindicated and impossible it is to assess the effectiveness of protection based only on livestock losses.

We continue with the second part of our series of articles on wolf regulation. Let's talk about the brand new method of regulation, which came into force on December 1, 2023 in Switzerland under the new Ordinance, which is still in the "test" phase and will not officially come into force until February 2025. We explain what it consists of and the real effects on both : attacks on livestock and the wolf itself, the packs, the species etc.

We're currently in an intense period for Arsene's pack : the cubs have been weaned, and their growth requires more and more meat. The pack must therefore hunt and predate even more, to feed the growing and increasingly demanding appetites of the new arrivals. This is also the period when pressure and attacks on livestock often increase.