IN THE 20th century the wolves that populated German fairy tales—such as “Little Red Riding Hood”, published by the Grimm brothers in 1812—were an anachronism. Hunters had wiped them out over the course of the 19th century; the last was killed in 1904. For decades the animals were confined to Europe’s east. Then came the end of the cold war, improved forest conservation standards, tighter rules on hunting, and the demilitarisation of border zones. Grey wolves started moving west, crossing from Poland into Germany around the turn of the millennium.
Their numbers are rising. In 2017 alone the number of documented packs in Germany rose from 47 to 60, putting the total count of wolves at around 400. Farmers reckon the true figure is over 1,000. Once concentrated in the north-east, attacks on livestock are spreading. In Lower Saxony, a western state with many sheep, a survey by the Neue Osnabrücker...Continue reading
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