Overview
- Brandenburg’s parliament added the wolf to its hunting law to allow faster removals that protect livestock, while the species remains strictly protected under conservation rules.
- Bavaria passed a new hunting law that includes the wolf and the golden jackal, with support from CSU and Free Voters and opposition from the Greens; the SPD abstained.
- The Bundestag approved federal changes earlier in March to ease wolf shootings, but the reform takes effect only if the Bundesrat signs off on March 27.
- Thuringia’s hunting association expects rare, targeted shootings, with draft rules proposing a July 1–October 31 season only where a favorable conservation status is confirmed and year-round action against problem animals despite adequate herd protection.
- Conservation groups NABU and BUND condemn the shift and plan protests, while hunting associations welcome it as a step toward regulated, legally secure management.