Dresden/Bautzen (dpa/sn) - According to the Wolf specialist department, 40 of the 101 animals from the herd of sheep and goats that broke out in Upper Lusatia on Thursday night were found alive. Some of them were injured, as a spokeswoman for the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology in Dresden said on Friday. The number of dead animals increased to 15. A bite wound on the sheep discovered in the pasture the day before indicates a wolf as the cause. However, the suspicion has not yet been unequivocally confirmed. According to the authorities, the other dead animals are now being examined by a crack expert.
The reason for the outbreak of the herd from the pasture not far from the Dauban forest is still unclear, according to the state office. Its owner had informed the Wolf Department on Thursday about the loss of the majority of his herd, which had only been coupled in the previous day, and the discovery of a dead and injured animal. According to the authorities, the minimum criteria for herd protection were met - the animals were also guarded by two herd protection dogs.
