Farmers in Switzerland demand wolf cull

Killer wolves terrorizing livestock in the remote mountains of Switzerland have prompted calls for culls of the predators.

Several farmers highlighted the situation on the weekend by dumping the bodies of 12 bloodied sheep outside Chateau Saint-Maire, the headquarters of the regional government of the Vaud region of western Switzerland.

Agence France-Presse said farmers at the protest in the city of Lausanne told officials the dead sheep had all been killed by wolves, and that a cull of predators was sorely needed.

Eric Herb, a farmer and member of the group calling for more regulation of large predators, told the Swiss Keystone-SDA news agency: "These sheep were killed last night. It is really time to act. The breeders have played nice until now, but this time it was too much."

Patrick Perroud, a local farmer and butcher, added: "We are sick of this … Cohabitation is not possible. Our territory is too small."

Saturday's protest was supported by the regional chapter of Switzerland's largest political party, the populist rightwing Swiss People's party.

But environmentalists in the landlocked central European nation of 9 million people say wolves should not be attacked, but celebrated. Conflicts with farmers led to the eradication of the wolf population in Switzerland and much of Europe more than 100 years ago, but the large canines have successfully returned in recent years, after reintroductions and breeding programs and following greater levels of protection that have outlawed their killing, unless under license from the authorities.

The first pack to be seen in the Alpine nation following the century-long absence was recorded in 2012. The population of wolves has steadily climbed ever since, totaling around 300 today, in around 32 separate packs throughout Switzerland, The Guardian newspaper reported.

But farmers say the resurgent population now needs to be reduced once again.

In addition to the spate of sheep deaths in the Saint-Barthelemy area of the Vaud region, wolves have also been blamed in recent days for the killing of three alpacas in the region of Thurgau, in northeastern Switzerland.

Keystone-SDA said the local government there is considering issuing a license to permit the shooting of wolves deemed responsible for those deaths.

Roman Kistler, head of the hunting and fishing administration within the local government, said the authorities in Thurgau believe a single animal may have been responsible.

He said experts reached the conclusion after analyzing bite marks on the dead alpacas and taking DNA samples.

Farmers involved in the weekend protest in Lausanne also want a cull, and say they will keep up the pressure on Vassilis Venizelos, a member of the Green Party who is environment minister in the local government, in the hope he will authorize one.