How Can We Keep Livestock Safe as Wolves Return?
janrinok writes:
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-livestock-safe-wolves.html
Wolves had long been extinct in parts of Central Europe. Thanks to strict regulations to protect species, in recent decades they have become more widespread again. This brings new challenges: in many areas, protecting farm livestock is essential to prevent animals such as sheep, goats and cattle from being killed by hungry wolves.
An international research team at the University of Gottingen, Humboldt-University zu Berlin (HU), Dresden University of Technology in Germany and KORA in Switzerland recently conducted a survey to find out how farmers feel about measures such as wolfrepelling electric fences or guard dogs, and whether the availability of subsidies influences this.
The survey showed that the willingness to protect livestock depends primarily on social pressure. Financial support is associated with a greater willingness to use electric fences against wolves. The study is published in the journal People and Nature.
In order to investigate perceptions and intentions regarding protecting their herds, the research team conducted an online survey in 2022 among farmers with grazing animals in Bavaria in Germany. The researchers evaluated the responses of 353 people using the "Theory of Planned Behavior."
This psychological theory maintains that whether someone does something or not depends primarily on how strongly the person is committed to it. Their intention is influenced by three factors: their own attitude ("Do I think it makes sense?"), social pressure ("What do the people around me think?"), and perceived control ("Am I able to do it?").
According to the survey results, the drivers behind farmers' willingness to protect livestock vary depending on the measures. However, social pressure plays the most important role.
More information: Friederike Riesch et al, How to reconcile pasture grazing and wolf recolonisation? Perceptions of management options by livestock farmers in Germany, People and Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1002/pan3.70141
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