Wolves to be hunted more easily in Switzerland
The Swiss government wants to ease restrictions for culling the growing number of wolves living notably in alpine regions of the country.
Under the plan submitted to cantons and organisations for consultation, the culling of individual wolves which attack livestock is to be facilitated without the consent of the Federal Office for the Environment.
The new rules are due to apply not only to single wolves as well as wolf packs and could come into force next summer.
There are currently at least 180 wolves and 20 wolf packs roaming primarily the alpine environment. A spate of attacks on livestock prompted calls for their extermination.
The new rules are aimed to cover an interim period before parliament has approved a legal reform.
Two years ago, voters rejected an overhaul of the hunting laws amid controversy about the regulation of wolves, a protected species in Switzerland.
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