Wolves are a vital part of Slovakia’s natural heritage, yet their survival remains uncertain. In Slovakia, a ban on wolf hunting introduced in 2021 is now under threat, with the current government planning to reinstate it. This makes independent, science-based monitoring and conservation efforts more critical than ever. The Carpathian Wolf Watch project is dedicated to accurately assessing wolf populations, fostering dialogue between stakeholders, and advocating for responsible wolf management.
In 2024, the project analyzed 169 genetic samples collected by volunteers from across Europe, identifying 47 individual wolves and estimating a total population of 75 wolves in the Slovakian region of Liptov—a stark contrast to the inflated numbers reported in official hunting statistics. These findings were presented to policymakers, influencing discussions on sustainable management.
‘We want to counter the myths and fairy tales about wolves with facts,’ emphasises biologist Robin Rigg, who has been working intensively with these animals since the 1990s. He is chairman of the EuroNatur partner organisation Slovak Wildlife Society and has been campaigning for a low-conflict coexistence between humans and wolves for almost three decades. Among other things, he has supported graziers in implementing herd protection measures and has scientifically proven their effectiveness.
Slovakia reintroduces wolf hunting
Concerns about high wolf culling rates led the European Commission to initiate treaty infringement proceedings against Slovakia in 2013. In order to improve the monitoring of the wolf population and resolve discrepancies over the number of wolves in the country, the Commission funded a one-year pilot project based on citizen science and modern genetic analyses. This was so successful that the Slovak Wildlife Society (SWS) incorporated the approaches into its annual monitoring programme Carpathian Wolf Watch, which has been running since 2010. The wolf was added to the country's list of strictly protected species in 2021, but after three years of a ban on shooting, the current government resumed wolf hunting in January 2025. Independent, objective monitoring and constructive dialogue are now more important than ever!
What EuroNatur and its partners are doing to protect wolves in Central Eastern Europe and what we have been able to achieve together:
Wolf footprints in the snow also provide important clues as to how many animals are passing and where.
Connecting habitats: We are drawing up proposals for preventing the negative impacts of landscape fragmentation on wolves and other wildlife. As a basis for this work, we are using long-term studies on the migratory behaviour of wolves. As a result, a large number of green bridges have been built, particularly in the north-west of Poland. We will also work to increase the number of crossing aids in Slovakia.
Reducing wolf shooting: Together with our partners from the Carpathian Wildlife Society, we have succeeded, over the past few years, in getting hunting quotas for wolves in Slovakia gradually reduced - from 150 animals in 2010 to 70 more recently. Wolf-hunting drives have also been banned.
Strengthening cooperation: In order to strengthen alliances with neighbouring countries, EuroNatur has launched a wolf information platform. As part of this initiative, wolf researchers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will meet once a year to share data and knowledge and improve cross-border cooperation.
Initially, we were met with a lot of scepticism, but the results speak for themselves: where livestock guarding dogs were integrated into flocks of sheep, there were 70 percent fewer losses from wolves and bears than on farms without such dogs.
Robin Rigg, Executive Director Slovak Wildlife Society
Partners: Slovak Wildlife Society
Funding: EuroNatur sponsors and donors
Wolfs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Defending conservation successes
Our partners from CZZS analyse the footage from a camera trap: Can a wolf be detected in the images?
The survival of wolves in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is increasingly being jeopardised, although it was one of the few countries that did not agree to the downgrading of protection for wolves under the Bern Convention. The negative attitude from the signatories of the Bern Convention is now highly counterproductive and demoralising, the Bosnian representative made clear in a statement. With estimates suggesting a population of 400–600 wolves, these numbers are based largely on hunter observations rather than scientific monitoring. Hunting, poaching, habitat loss, and legal inconsistencies between the country’s two entities further endanger their future.
To address these challenges, Center for Environment (CZZS) from BiH and EuroNatur have launched a pilot project to establish a sustainable, science-based approach to wolf conservation. By implementing standardized monitoring protocols, we aim to collect accurate data on wolf populations using camera traps, tracking methods, and mortality reports. Reliable information is essential for developing informed conservation strategies and ensuring a balanced coexistence between wolves and local communities.
‘We need positive examples!’ says EuroNatur project manager Antje Henkelmann. ‘That's why our Bosnian partners from CZZS will support livestock farmers in selected communities with livestock protection measures and continue to invest in cooperation with the authorities. Our aim is for these role models to set a precedent,’ says the biologist.
I have nothing against wolves, even though they can harm my animals. I have good livestock guarding dogs that protect my sheep.
Bože Mamić, sheep farmer in Bosnia and Herzegovina
What EuroNatur and its partners are doing to protect wolves in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The use of livestock guarding dogs is another measure to reduce the damage caused to livestock farmers by wolf attacks.
In addition to researching wolf populations in several pilot areas, the project also focuses on reducing conflicts between people and wolves. To support local communities, we will conduct awareness-raising campaigns and provide damage prevention equipment such as electric fences to promote low-conflict coexistence.
Together with our partners, we want to inform the public in BiH by means of educational initiatives. To this end, a documentary film on wolves is to be produced and shown in various localities.
Partners: Center for Environment (CZZS)
Funding: Bernd-Thies-Stiftung, EuroNatur sponsors and donors
Wolves in Baden-Württemberg
Paving the way for a return
On their migrations, wolves can cover long distances.
After being extinct in Germany for more than 150 years, the wolf is gradually making a return to its old territories. Since 2015, there have been repeated wolf sightings in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg; according to the most recent data (February 2023), four single animal (three males and one female) permanently living there. Wolves can find their way to Baden-Württemberg from the north and east of Germany, as well as from the Italian-French Alps. Young wolves often travel many hundreds of kilometres In search of new territories. Due to the long absence of large predators, people in the south-west of Germany are unaccustomed to living alongside wolves. In order to ensure a peaceful coexistence between wolves and humans, conflicts need to be defused as early as possible.
What EuroNatur and its partners are doing to protect wolves in Germany and what we have been able to achieve together:
Working to raise awareness: We want to eliminate people’s prejudices towards wolves and prepare them for the animal’s return. In 2013, as a first step, EuroNatur worked with a group of experts to develop its “Guidelines for dealing with Wolves", thus laying the groundwork for effective wolf management in Baden-Württemberg.
Building trust: EuroNatur, together with other conservation organisations and hunting groups, is a sponsor of the “Wolf Compensation Fund”. This enables livestock owners to be compensated, in a quick and unbureaucratic way, for any damage caused by wolves. We are also working to help livestock farmers take preventative measures to protect their herds.
Partners: EuroNatur is a member of the working group on Wolves in the AG Luchs Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Lynx Association.)
Funding: EuroNatur sponsors and donors.
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Join the many people getting actively involved for Europe’s wolves. We are grateful for any donation for wolves or active contribution you can make! In doing so, you are supporting an independent and networked civil society in Europe, which is campaigning vigorously to protect Europe’s wolves. Please help us any way you can!
