The wolf is currently giving the Danes a hard time (symbolic image).Image: KEYSTONE
After several dangerous situations between animals and humans, the authorities resort to radical measures.
May 11, 2026, 10:09 p.mMay 11, 2026, 10:09 p.m
Niels Anner, Copenhagen / ch media
The wolf is rampant in southern Jutland. And he gets pretty close to people sometimes. Denmark is about the same size as Switzerland, but only has 45 wolves that originally immigrated from Germany. Now the small population is causing fear and terror, especially in the rural Oksbøl region north of Esbjerg: In the last few months, some animals have shown little fear of people.
What particularly caused a stir was the case of a 14-year-old who suddenly looked a wolf in the eyes in front of a sports hall in the evening. The girl was able to escape into a passing car. At about the same time, three wolves ran after a person into the village of Blåvand and came within two meters.
Loud screams and gesticulations hardly impressed the animals. A farmer had a similar experience when six wolves slowly followed him to his farm in April.
A problem wolf was shot in Oksbøl in March, but authorities have so far been reluctant to hunt the protected animal. The fact that entire packs are shot preventively, as in Switzerland, is not an issue given the small population.
Has anyone deliberately fed wolves?
However, there is a particular problem in the region: researchers suspect that someone has deliberately fed the wolves. “If they come close without dogs around, then they must associate people with food. Wild animals don’t do things like that for fun,” explained Peter Sunde, wolf researcher at Aarhus University. He doesn’t see any specific danger to humans, but the wolves need to regain their natural fear.
The environmental authorities have now reacted with an unusual measure. In the Oksbøl area, which is about the size of the canton of Schaffhausen, private individuals are now allowed to shoot at problem wolves if the animals come closer than 30 meters. The prerequisite for firing a shot is a hunting license and authorization from the authorities.
In certain zones around three villages, the 30-meter rule does not apply: Citizens there are allowed to shoot wolves with problematic behavior on their own property, even from a greater distance. The measure seems popular: after just a few days, six people have already obtained a permit.
Even the animal protection organization Dyrenes Beskyttelse is in favor of shooting. But only with paintball guns. That hurts and restores shyness, said biologist Michael Carlsen: “It’s better to have a colored ball than a real ball.”
It’s better to shoot the animals with a paintball gun than with a real weapon.Image: www.imago-images.de
The organization also calls for wolf-proof fences and more livestock guard dogs. Wolf researcher Sunde said that “bullying” wolves could definitely have the desired effect.
In the Alpine countries there have been discussions about scaring people with rubber bullets for a long time; In Switzerland they have previously been used against lynxes. In the Netherlands, paintball was used against conspicuously friendly wolves in a national park. However, critics, including a Danish paintball provider, consider such non-lethal weapons to be unsuitable because you have to get around 20 meters from the animals to get a sure hit. (aargauerzeitung.ch)