The conflict surrounding wolves in Valais shows no sign of abating. The Groupe Loup  Suisse (GLS -Swiss Wolf Group), an association based in Bern that aims to facilitate coexistence between humans and large carnivores, and Pro Natura Valais have alerted the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to the canton's management of wolf pack regulation.

After conducting their own investigation, they believe they have uncovered “quite serious facts” concerning the packs in French-speaking Valais that could lead to “avoidable” shooting errors.

The findings of these investigations were also forwarded to the office of the Berne Convention, the European treaty that protects endangered species, as well as to various Swiss and European associations.

According to Groupe Loup Suisse and Pro Natura, the proactive regulation policy implemented by the canton of Valais since 2023, following the revision of the hunting ordinance, violates scientific standards and could contravene Switzerland's international commitments.

Management of five packs analyzed

In August, the two organizations sent reports to each of these bodies on the Valais packs of Chablais, Hauts-Forts, Toules, Hérens-Mandelon, and Nendaz-Isérables, which are subject to regulation requests in 2023 and 2024.

These documents are signed by the Swiss Wolf Group's director for French-speaking Switzerland, Isabelle Germanier, who is also leading a field study project called “Wolf Mission" with volunteers supervised by biologists & ethologists. The association is funded by donations and does not receive any subsidies. According to the GLS, the reports have been validated by three biologists.

After a “careful examination of all available official data and the functioning” of the packs, the organizations denounce “shortcomings and irregularities” in the official regulation request files that the Valais Cantonal Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Service (SCPF) has sent to the Federal Office for the Environment over the past two years.

Groupe Loup Suisse and Pro Natura Valais explain that they launched these investigations after observing, during previous culling campaigns, decisions based on “incomplete information,” “poorly defined territories,” and shootings that sometimes affected animals outside the targeted packs.

The two organizations hope that these reports “will serve to prevent mistakes in the future” in order to avoid the negative consequences they can have “for wolves but also for the local pastoral community.” In fact, in some cases, culling could prove counterproductive and increase attacks on herds by destabilizing packs and encouraging them to reproduce.

A shot fired outside the perimeter and close to homes reported

In its report on the Hérens-Mandelon pack, the Groupe Loup Suisse reports a shot fired outside the perimeter. Based on the interactive map that the Hunting Service posted online at the time, and with the help of SwissTopo, the association believes that the shooting of a male in December 2023 took place outside the authorized perimeter. According to the association, the shot was fired by a hunter 34 meters from residential buildings, even though hunting law prohibits shooting within 100 meters of residential areas.

The head of the Hunting Service, Nicolas Bourquin, dismisses these claims: “I can guarantee that all shots were fired within the authorized perimeters. They were all validated by the FOEN (Federal Office for the Environment) after the fact. It is not possible to zoom in enough to determine the exact coordinates of a shot based on the interactive maps we publish online.”

A shift with the new ordinance

Neither the Groupe Loup Suisse nor Pro Natura are opposed to regulation. These two organizations are among those that decided not to launch a referendum against the revision of the Hunting Law in 2023. They believed that the new law, although considered unconvincing, allowed coexistence with wolves under certain conditions.

But since then, everything has changed. In December of the same year, the Federal Council enacted a new hunting ordinance giving cantons the option to significantly reduce the number of packs on their territory. Two “preventive” culling campaigns have already taken place in regions affected by the presence of wolves. In Valais, 34 individuals were killed between September 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, and 27 during the previous culling period.

Christophe Darbellay's offensive

This year, the canton of Valais has obtained authorization from the OFEV/FOEN (Federa Office of the Environnement) to cull wolves from five packs, out of the nine that exist in the territory. In addition, three packs may be completely eliminated.

The initiative by Groupe Loup Suisse and Pro Natura comes at a time when Valais State Councilor Christophe Darbellay, who has been head of the hunting department since the start of the new legislative term (May 2025), is pursuing a particularly aggressive policy against the predator.

When contacted, Isabelle Germanier commented: “With requests for collaboration being systematically refused, Pro Natura and Groupe Loup Suisse fear a deterioration in wolf management in Valais, particularly given the current political situation. The associations hope that the federal authorities and the Bern Convention will analyze the reports and take steps to clarify and improve the situation in Valais.”

The letter to which the reports were attached was addressed to Urs Wegmann, the FOEN's “Mr. Wolf.” Due to “holiday absences,” the office's communications department was unable to tell us what action it would take in response to these reports.

 

The Hunting Service defends itself

We also contacted the Hunting Service to find out what it thought of these criticisms. It replied that it was not within its remit “to comment on analyses, reports, expert opinions or any other statements made by a private association such as the Groupe Loup Suisse.”

The Hunting Service also emphasizes that “all wolf culls carried out since the start of proactive regulation in Valais have been conducted in accordance with the legal provisions in force. The FOEN issues culling permits for specific areas in accordance with federal law. All culls have been carried out within these areas.”

In its report on the Hérens-Mandelon pack, the Groupe Loup Suisse reports a shot fired outside the perimeter. Based on the interactive map that the Hunting Service posted online at the time, and with the help of SwissTopo, the association believes that the shooting of a male in December 2023 took place outside the authorized perimeter. According to the association, the shot was fired by a hunter 34 meters from residential buildings, even though hunting law prohibits shooting within 100 meters of residential areas.
 

Here are the key points raised by the Groupe Loup Suisse and Pro Natura Valais

 Attacks that recur from one year to the next: According to an analysis of documents provided to the FOEN by the Hunting Service when requesting culling, certain attacks were used to justify requests for culling in 2023, then reused in 2024 to boost the total damage figures. “The period for counting attacks is not clearly regulated. But some attacks that were counted twice allowed for a cull that would not otherwise have been possible,” says Isabelle Germanier.

 Monitoring deemed inadequate: One of the most persistent criticisms concerns the quality of DNA monitoring. According to reports, the genetic data provided by the canton is often incomplete, sometimes non-existent for certain packs, and there is no filiation. The documents highlight that several individuals identified by KORA (a foundation commissioned by the Confederation and the cantons to monitor packs) do not appear in the cantonal files. Concrete monitoring in the field is also described as insufficient, with too few camera traps. For one pack, monitoring is said to be completely absent.

 A problem in French-speaking Switzerland: The investigations reveal a marked contrast with Upper Valais, where the files are considered “complete and scientifically sound.” The organizations are calling for a uniform scientific standard for the different areas of Valais. In the letter to the FOEN to which the reports were attached, they emphasize that “it is also striking to note that the packs in Lower Valais have been heavily regulated, even though there are far fewer attacks there than in Upper Valais thanks to better herd protection (more guard dogs, shepherds).”

 Contested territory boundaries: The maps used to define the territories of the Valais packs are also under scrutiny by the organizations. Some boundaries are not based on solid scientific grounds and artificially inflate the number of packs present. Furthermore, the Hunting Service does not consider in anyway the buffer zones that exist between neighboring packs, which could lead to the shooting of individuals that do not belong to the targeted pack (especially pups, six of them were shot during the first two phases of culling but did not belong to the targeted packs).

 A politically motivated decision: This summer, State Councilor Christophe Darbellay announced his intention to discuss the issue with Federal Councilor Albert Rösti, who is responsible for the environment. His goal is to allow shooting even when there have been no attacks on livestock. The GLS points out that in 2024, the Valais Minister of Security, Frédéric Favre, had already met with the director of the FOEN (OFEV) and Albert Rösti. Following this visit, the FOEN not only corrected its position on the shootings requested by Valais.
 

 Pressure at the local level: The reports also refer to the fact that non-problematic packs have been regulated. This is particularly the case for the Hérens-Mandelon pack, which was targeted for regulation in 2023 and 2024, even though it was stable and not particularly predatory, according to the GLS. The association points out that the criteria defining what constitutes a problematic pack are vague.

 Adult wolves killed instead of cubs: “According to the FOEN's instructions, adult wolves cannot be shot before October 31,” notes Isabelle Germanier. However, this year, two adult wolves have already been shot in the Chablais pack. If this is the breeding pair, it means that there are now three cubs left to fend for themselves because they are unable to feed themselves. It's incredible that it's not possible to tell the difference between a cub and an adult at this time of year." In 2024, this confusion was already being made (5 adult wolves killed in Valais).

Article : Camille Krafft - Blick newspaper
Photo : Keystone / MICHAEL BUHOLZER