Dresden (dpa / sn) - The sheep and goats that broke out of a pasture in Upper Lusatia almost two weeks ago were torn by wolves. The suspicion was confirmed in the examination of bite marks on dead and injured animals "with sufficient certainty", as the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) in Dresden announced on Tuesday. Of the originally 101 animals, 55 were recovered. 14 have been reported dead and 32 are still missing.
On the morning of July 7th, its owner found only one dead and one injured animal on the pasture near the Dauban forest, which had only been linked up the day before, and informed the LfULG Wolf Unit. The injury to a sheep had already pointed to a wolf as the cause, which has now been proven. A crack expert had also examined animals discovered later with corresponding wounds.
"The legally required minimum protection for the animals was given before the herd escaped," emphasized the LfULG. From this point on, they were no longer protected by the electric pasture network in the wolf area and were easy prey. "What led to the outbreak of the herd cannot be conclusively reconstructed." Both the presence of wolves near the pasture in the territory of the Dauban pack and unrest within the herd could be considered as causes.
