Two wolves have been killed in Doubs in less than two weeks

A wolf “in attack situation” was shot dead on Friday by wolf-hunting lieutenants in Doubs. This is the second person killed in less than two weeks, the prefecture announced on Saturday, September 7.

The animal was killed around 11:45 p.m. during an operation to defend a herd of cattle in Mouthe, “while three wolves were observed attacking the herd in question”specifies the prefecture. “The observations made by the French Office for Biodiversity a few moments after the shooting establish that it was carried out under the conditions required by the regulations”adds the prefecture.

Since February, 16 attacks have been recorded in the department, including five in the commune of Mouthe, and several dozen cattle have been injured or killed, the prefecture continues. In June, the administrative court of Besançon annulled two prefectural decrees authorizing shooting wolves. The administrative court had recalled that “The wolf is a protected species under European law” of which “destruction is therefore in principle prohibited”. The law, however, provides for exceptions to prevent “significant damage to livestock”.