Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has welcomed the shooting of a wolf near Nørre Nebel in West Jutland. The animal, classified by authorities as a problem wolf, was killed Thursday evening after repeatedly approaching people.
DR reports that Mette Frederiksen wrote in a Facebook post that she is glad the wolf in Nørre Nebel has now been shot. She described the case as being about something fundamental, namely safety.
The wolf was shot Thursday evening after several incidents in the town. According to DR, it had come close to people and sought them out in private gardens. Naturstyrelsen, the Danish Nature Agency, had searched for the animal since August 6 using thermal drones and staff with rifles.
Frederiksen wrote that many opinions and emotions are in play in the wolf debate. She said there is nothing wrong with wanting to live without fearing wolves, and nothing wrong with wanting to protect nature. She added that safety comes first, and that it cannot be up for discussion when children are involved.
Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare Christian Rabjerg Madsen said earlier Friday that he is highly satisfied with the outcome. He thanked employees at Naturstyrelsen, saying they had worked day and night to shoot the wolf.
Second legal shooting of a problem wolf
Separate DR reporting states the wolf was shot at about 10 meters shortly before 10 p.m. by a Naturstyrelsen employee. The shooting took place near Houstrup, west of Nørre Nebel, inside a designated wolf regulation zone. Per the Ministry of Nature and Animal Welfare, it is only the second time a problem wolf has been legally shot in Denmark.
As reported by DR, experts from Aarhus University reviewed images of the animal. They concluded it was the same wolf that had previously shown problematic behavior at Oksbøl. The ministry says there is a high degree of certainty on that point, rather than absolute confirmation.
The Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø, SGAV, announced the new regulation zone at Nørre Nebel on August 7. The permit in that zone runs until October 1, 2026. On August 12, SGAV added measures allowing shooting on private land by agreement, at distances beyond 30 meters, and with shotguns.
According to SGAV and Ni.dk, the hunt followed three incidents on August 5. The wolf approached children playing in private gardens and did not retreat when people shouted at it. Authorities described the behavior as unacceptable and as a loss of natural shyness toward humans.
Frederiksen wrote that the next step is for the Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare to seek changes to current EU rules on wolf regulation. Avisen Danmark notes that two regulation zones are active, at Nørre Nebel and Oksbøl.
