Wolves are repeatedly falling victim to poachers in the forests of Saxony. Just last Wednesday (February 14), a dead male old wolf was found in the Königshainer Berge area (Bautzen district), said Karin Bernhardt, spokeswoman for the State Office for the Environment. Two cases are still being investigated. It is not yet possible to say with certainty whether these are illegal killings. Last year, three illegally killed wolves were counted. According to Bernhardt, 196 dead wolves have been recovered in Saxony since 2000. Of these, 17 cases were illegal killings.
There are currently around 38 packs, 4 pairs and 2 single animals living in Saxony. According to the state office, 1024 dead wolves have been found in Germany since 1990. Of these, 94 were illegally killed, 762 died in traffic accidents and the cause of death is unknown in 14 cases. The wolf is a strictly protected species in Germany. Anyone who kills wolves risks up to five years in prison.
According to statistics from the State Criminal Police Office, cases of hunting poaching have remained roughly the same in recent years. In 2022, a decrease from 47 to 40 cases was recorded compared to the previous year. In 2018, however, there were only 27 cases. In the past two years, criminologists have managed to solve more than one in three cases. The number of suspects identified fell from 20 in 2021 to 14 in 2022. The districts of Bautzen, Mittelsachsen and Vogtlandkreis led the way in 2022 with five cases each. More recent figures are not yet available.
