In the Soomaa region of southern Estonia, farmers are facing widespread wolf attacks on their herds, while bears are destroying bales of livestock fodder. Meanwhile, hunting permits have been suspended shortly after being issued, reports ERR News.Although the Environmental Board issued hunting permits following reports of attacks on cattle, a court blocked them after receiving a petition from the non-governmental organization Eesti Suurkiskjad (Estonian Large Carnivores). Nevertheless, the wolf hunting season is set to begin in November regardless.Farmer Tiit Soa, who raises cattle in Soomaa, told the program “Aktuaalne kaamera” that he had never witnessed such extensive wolf attacks; even larger animals, such as adult cows, have been unable to escape them. Soa has lost 150 cattle to wolves—a quarter of his entire herd.By the 30th of October, the Environmental Board had received reports of 151 wolf attacks on farm animals.Soa emphasized that the population of large predators must be managed and that common sense should be applied. He estimated that wolf attacks have caused losses amounting to approximately 200,000 euros. However, to be eligible for compensation, livestock owners must first implement all necessary precautionary measures, including the installation of electric fencing. Soa explained that in Soomaa—a marshy area located within a national park—water levels fluctuate so drastically that meeting the requirements set by the Environmental Board is nearly impossible. He noted that on the very night the required fence was installed, wolves arrived and killed two calves. The only effective approach, he said, is to physically guard the herd—patrolling the area and occasionally using pyrotechnics to deter the animals. In Soa’s case, the herd requires round-the-clock supervision, a situation that has already begun to take a toll on his health.According to the Estonian Ministry of Climate, the responsibility for livestock lies primarily with the owner. Aimar Rakko, Head of Hunting Affairs in the Ministry’s Forestry Department, stated that the focus must be on protection; if it is not possible to keep livestock—or livestock of a certain age—safely in a particular location, farmers should seriously reconsider where they choose to keep their animals. Tanel Türna, Head of the Hunting and Aquatic Fauna Department at the Environmental Board, suggested that livestock farmers change their tactics. He noted that the human resources currently used to patrol around pastures could perhaps be redirected in the evenings to round up calves and move them to safer locations. While not an easy task, it would yield results. The alternative, he warned, is that wolves will continue to return as long as they have the opportunity to catch prey.Bears have also appeared in Soomaa this year; although they have not attacked livestock, these large animals have torn apart a significant number of fodder bales wrapped in plastic film.The Environmental Board issued 64 hunting permits, 26 of which were subsequently suspended by the court following a legal challenge by the organization Eesti Suurkiskjad —with the latter batch being suspended just two hours after their issuance. Eesti Suurkiskjad has previously succeeded in court in halting the hunting of large predators. The wolf hunting season began on the 1st of November and runs until February. The bear hunting season extends into the autumn and has just concluded.
Livestock farmers in Estonia have lost 150 cattle to wolves; court blocks hunting permits
