Government announces changes: Wolves that threaten people and livestock would be easier to shoot

The government has announced plans to amend regulations regarding wolf culling, aiming to streamline procedures for shooting wolves that threaten humans and livestock. The changes would allow more efficient management of wolf populations, particularly in areas where conflicts with people and domestic animals have increased. This decision follows recent calls from the Forestry Institute of Slovenia, which urged the ministry to expedite permits for wolf culling on two large territories. The proposed amendments were revealed during the council session of the State Council, held on August 21, 2026. Officials stated that the government is preparing legislative changes to improve the effectiveness of wolf population control. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning will soon revise guidelines for proving conditions under which a wolf can be removed from nature through shooting. These revised procedures aim to take into account “specific circumstances on the ground.” In addition to updating legal frameworks, the government is examining the possibility of managing wolves as a hunting species. This could enable shooting under rules that currently apply to wild animals. The focus will primarily be on tailoring wolf management according to specific regions and incidents involving encounters between wolves and domestic dogs, which typically avoid human contact. Population monitoring over the years 2024 and 2025 showed that there were 16 wolf packs present in Slovenia during that time. Although wolves have been protected since 2004, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning can exceptionally approve shooting a predetermined number of animals. The extent of culling is determined based on population data, observations, and damage reports, including losses among domestic animals. Culling is limited to specific time periods and spatially distributed across regions, with decisions issued annually. The Forestry Institute of Slovenia has consistently called for culling throughout the year. Recently, the institute urged the ministry to issue permits for wolf culling on two larger areas. According to officials at the Forestry Institute, they submitted two expert opinions for removing wolves from nature via shooting earlier this year. Both documents included positive statements from the Slovenian Environmental Protection Agency. One opinion was issued immediately after the new year, focusing on the southern part of the country, while another was released in early January concerning the northwestern region. On these areas, between January and July of this year, 46 damaging incidents and 94 confirmed losses of livestock due to wolf attacks were recorded. Officials noted that the regions of Gorenjska and Notranjska stand out in this regard. The ministry has already issued a permit for the removal of wolves on the territory of the hunting association Loški Potok. It is currently handling procedures for the shooting of hybrids between wolves and domestic dogs. Additional decisions are reportedly being prepared for areas identified by the Forestry Institute.