Residents near Blåvand, Oksbøl and Nørre Nebel in West Jutland say the killing of a so-called problem wolf was shocking and an overreaction. The male wolf was shot by the Danish Nature Agency on Thursday evening.
Local reporting by JydskeVestkysten, published by Avisen Danmark, shows that opinion in the area is divided. Several residents declined to have their views published, saying the tone of the debate has become too heated.
Foot care specialist Stephanie Kreis in Oksbøl told JydskeVestkysten she is shocked and considers the shooting a complete overreaction. She said the animal was not aggressive, and that red deer and adders cause more problems locally. Kreis is originally from Germany, where she says monitoring of wolves is more developed.
Dorthe Kristiansen from Jegum near Oksbøl also called the decision wrong. According to her, the wolf should have been tranquilized and fitted with a GPS collar instead. She said residents in Jegum who have encountered wolves report that the animals leave on their own.
The wolf had been observed without natural shyness in Blåvand, Oksbøl and most recently near Nørre Nebel over the past six months. Lise Hansen from Lise’s Pub in Blåvand recalled that a guest was approached by a wolf on the main street one evening in February. The animal was peaceful but sought contact, and it may have been the wolf now shot.
Birgitte Nielsen, who owns the Sportigan store in Nørre Nebel, keeps her own view on wolves to herself. She said she has sold whistles to people who take them along to scare off a possible wolf, but that sales have not changed significantly.
Minister defends the intervention
Christian Rabjerg Madsen (S), minister for nature and animal welfare, held a press event beside the dead wolf in Oksbøl on Friday. He grew up in Ølgod and said he knows many people living close to the wolf, including some who stopped walking their dog in the evening. He said perceptions differ, and that he wants to take the safety concerns of frightened residents seriously.
Politiken reports that a Nature Agency employee shot the wolf with a rifle from about 10 meters in Blåbjerg Plantage, shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday. The Ministry for Nature and Animal Welfare confirmed the shooting in a press release on Friday morning, citing incidents where the wolf approached people in private gardens.
As reported by DR, authorities intensified the hunt using thermal drones and ground patrols after the animal repeatedly approached playing children on August 5. A new regulation zone from Nørre Nebel toward Hvide Sande was established to allow the shooting.
Norwegian outlet ABC Nyheter notes that the minister has faced criticism for posing in front of the carcass, while defending the intervention as necessary. Denmark has seen rising wolf numbers in recent years.
