Germany’s Hanover region has issued an official license to kill the wolf that killed one of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s horses.
She previously stated that the executive power of the European Union will review the protected status of wolves.
Dolly the horse was mauled by a wolf in early September while grazing with another pony owned by the Von der Leyen family near Hanover in northern Germany.
“The whole family is very worried by the news”, said the spokesperson of the head of the Commission at the time, and now the competent authorities have allowed the killing of the wolf in question.
The wolf has been called a problem wolf, which is a concept in German nature protection legislation that applies when a wolf repeatedly attacks livestock or otherwise endangers people and other animals, and facilitates the issuance of an exceptional hunting permit.
According to the spokesman, in addition to the pony, the wolf killed a total of 12 sheep and cows. However, he did not comment on whether it was Dolly’s death that prompted the issuance of the kill permit.
Von der Leyen said in a letter to German conservative lawmakers last week that the Commission would review the wolves’ protected status.
Although she did not specifically mention her horse in the letter, she said the Commission “recognizes that the return of the wolf and its increasing numbers lead to problems”.