The Canton of Vaud carried out a new wolf control shot in the Vaudois Jura, the fourth since last March. But wildlife wardens shot the wrong wolf, an adult male from the Marchairuz pack instead of a wolf cub.
The shooting took place on the Grands Plats de Bise mountain pasture in the town of Chenit on the night of November 27 to 28, under the conditions set by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), said Thursday the State of Vaud in a press release. In September, the FOEN gave the green light to the shooting of three young wolves from the pack, due to increasing attacks on cattle herds.
The shot targeted a small wolf in the middle of a group of four canids on the territory of the pack and within the authorized perimeter, outside the Franc district of Noirmont, specifies the Canton. The autopsy carried out by the National Competence Center for Wildlife Diseases of the University of Bern (FIWI) showed that it is a male of 3 to 6 years old, he adds.
“In the light of these findings, the individual taken, contrary to the assessment on the ground, is not a young wolf. The result of the DNA samples taken will make it possible to identify the animal and to determine whether it is acts of an already known individual”, explain the services of the Minister of the Environment Vassilis Venizelos.
Hard field work
They emphasize “the complexity and difficulties inherent in carrying out regulatory actions: these take place at night and in the presence of moving animals, making it very difficult to distinguish between pack members, especially since the young have reached their adult size at this time of the year”.
The authorities also specify that “regulation shots might not be carried out earlier in the year, given the fact that the cubs were within the perimeter of the Franc district of Noirmont”. “These actions also require an extremely important commitment from field staff, a commitment that compromises the accomplishment of other imperative tasks of wildlife management on the rest of the cantonal territory”.
“This situation confirms the need for additional resources, provided for in the revision of the law on hunting debated in the Federal Chambers, to accomplish the numerous missions for which the cantons are responsible for monitoring large carnivores in their respective territories”, they write. Again.
short term break
According to the latest surveys, the Marchairuz pack would be a priori composed of a breeding pair, three to five subadults and at least six cubs.
In the short term, there will be no more firing in the Marchairuz area, the Canton also announces. “The wolves move to the foot of the Jura with the onset of winter. The third young wolf will therefore be taken during a new attack on a livestock animal. To this end, the scope of this possible regulation will be expanded, as authorized on November 30, 2022 by the FOEN”, he notes.
As a reminder, Vaud had filed two requests with the FOEN. The first relates to the widening of the current regulatory perimeter which goes from La Dôle to the Marchairuz pass road. The Canton wishes to extend the perimeter to the northeast, to include the predations that occur beyond the Marchairuz road. He also wants to extend it to the foot of the Jura, because with the upcoming arrival of snow, deer and wolves will descend in this area.
The second request to the FOEN concerns the shooting of the breeding male of the pack. The Canton substantiated its request, with additional elements, and once more transmitted it to Bern. He essentially believes that the shooting of Cubs will not be enough to change the behavior of the pack.
Current report
The adult male wolf shot is the fourth regulation shot carried out by Vaud. The first two, made last March, and the third last November, also targeted the Marchairuz pack.
An assessment of the regulatory actions for the year 2022 is being carried out in order to draw lessons for the next summering season, further underlines the Canton. This “will make it possible to feed the action plan requested by the Council of State from the Wolf Strategic Group which should make it possible to improve the monitoring of the species, the measures to protect the herds and the regulatory actions”. In particular, the installation of transmitter collars is planned.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
