Austria protects livestock from wolves with funding
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The Salzburg region of Austria has invested approximately 1.5 million euros in livestock protection measures since 2018.
In 2023, the region distributed 357,000 euros for preventative actions against wolf attacks and will provide an additional 168,000 euros by the end of July 2026. These funds support things like fences, protective netting for animal shelters, electric fencing, and GPS tracking collars. Roughly half of the sheep and goat farmers in Salzburg have already implemented these preventative measures on their farms.
Despite these efforts, wolves killed 22 farm animals, including 12 goats, six sheep, and four calves, and injured three more by August 30. Four animals also remain missing, and one deer was confirmed as a wolf kill. Officials have identified five wolves in Salzburg so far this year, but Landeshauptfraustellvertreterin Marlene Svazek believes the actual number is higher.
Svazek argues that livestock protection alone isn’t enough to address problems caused by wolves and continues to support managing the wolf population through regulated removal. Salzburg intends to continue its current strategy of herd protection, consultation, and preventative measures, having most recently killed a wolf in Viehhofen in June under a wolf removal ordinance.
