1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Germany faces wolf crisis: Hunting back on the table

15:24

This browser does not support the video element.

December 12, 2025

Wolves are back in Europe, sparking livestock attacks. The EU reintroduces hunting, but scientists call it unjustified. We explore Germany's search for coexistence.

Germany's gray wolf population is rebounding, sparking fierce debate. Once hunted to extinction, wolves returned after reunification and now number around 1,600. While ecologists hail this as a biodiversity win, livestock attacks have surged, prompting the EU to relax protections and allow licensed hunting. Experts warn culling disrupts pack dynamics and may worsen conflicts. Farmers seek coexistence through guard dogs, electric fences, and targeted removal of "problem wolves."

For more DW Planet A content, follow this link

Aditi Rajagopal Aditi Rajagopal is a DW environment reporter mainly working for Planet A on Youtube and tiktok.
Skip next section About the show

About the show

Planet A

We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world and challenges the way we are dealing with climate change.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW