Germany slightly relaxed its tough laws on the culling of wolves on Wednesday, amid concern growing numbers pose a threat to livestock.

Under new rules introduced by Angela Merkel’s government, licensed hunters will be called in to shoot wolves where there have been clear attacks on livestock.

As it is often impossible to tell which animal carried out an attack, the reform raises the possibility that entire packs will be shot.

Previously it was only permitted to cull wolves that could be shown to pose a threat to human safety.

The new regulations are a response to the wolf’s dramatic comeback in Germany. Just twenty years ago, there were none left, after the species was hunted to extinction in the early 20th century.

But they returned naturally after the fall of communism, crossing the border from Poland after fences were removed, and today more than 30 packs are believed to roam the country.

In 2015, a wolf pack was photographed just 30 miles from Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city, and wolves have been spotted wandering into villages and built-up areas in search of food.