Haute-Vienne: Rural Coordination offers reward for every “deceased wolf”, prefect refers case to prosecutor

Controversial Wolf Bounty

The Coordination rurale (CR) offered a controversial €1,000 bounty for every “dead wolf” in Haute-Vienne, prompting the prefect to report this threat against a protected species to the prosecutor’s office, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday, August 2, as reported by the prefecture. On July 21, a ewe was injured in Bussière-Poitevine, 60 kilometers north of Limoges. The prefecture stated that “no evidence” allows attributing the ewe’s injury to a wolf attack. However, the agricultural union insists, “To us, it’s a wolf,” promising the sum to anyone who “brings back a dead wolf,” a provocation, as described by the CR president Thomas Hégarty, a goat and cattle farmer.

Environmental Concerns

According to the union leader, around “twenty, twenty-five animals” have been killed in Haute-Vienne this year. The prefecture recorded sixteen reported sheep attacks in 2024, but only four cases where “wolf responsibility has not been ruled out.” In 2023, there were twenty reported attacks, with three suspect cases. The environmental association One Voice views the anti-wolf bounty proposed by the CR as an “incitement to commit offenses.” Damaging the conservation of wild animal species is punishable by imprisonment and fines under the environmental code.

Legal Consequences and Wildlife Conservation

One Voice announced they would not hesitate to take legal action against illegal wolf hunters and the Coordination rurale. Despite receiving a warning letter from One Voice, Thomas Hégarty continues to raise concerns about the dangers of wolves, highlighting instances of wolf attacks on children, citing a recent incident in the Netherlands. The reintroduction of wolves in Europe, where they were nearly exterminated, has not been without conflicts, primarily due to livestock attacks, sparking heated debates between wolf supporters and opponents.

European Wolf Population

In 2023, the presence of Canis lupus was documented in twenty-three EU countries with an estimated population of around 20,300 individuals. The fragile coexistence between wolves and humans in Europe demonstrates ongoing challenges in balancing wildlife conservation and agricultural livelihoods.