Wolf hunting – Environmentalists slam Swiss Government

The Swiss proposal to allow hunting of wolves has come in for criticism from environmentalists. Swiss officials argue that the wolf population presents a threat to local communities in mountain areas. The proposal was packaged as a measure for ameliorating the conflict with mountain farming. Taking up the cudgel, WWF said the proposal was "unacceptable and irresponsible, and any culling in the Alps would be a disaster for the wolf population there." Wolves were driven to extinction throughout most of Western Europe by the beginning of the last century. Dedicated conservation efforts have seen the animals returning to the European Alps from Italy’s Apennine Mountains. WWF does not agree that the wolf population in Switzerland constitutes a threat to local communities, and says there is no legitimate reason to decrease the wolf’s protected status.