After months of debate, German lawmakers agreed on Thursday to a new law that makes it easier for farmers to lethally shoot wolves in order to protect their livestock.

Livestock farmers will have the right to shoot wild wolves if they are causing "serious damage” to their animals. Formerly, farmers were only allowed to shoot if the wolves threatened the farmer's livelihood.

Read more: Furry head of ice age wolf found in Siberian permafrost

The new law permits killing wolves up until the point that there are no more attacks on farm animals in an area, even if it means killing an entire wolf pack.

Farmers are authorized to shoot a wolf regardless of whether that specific animal is responsible for attacking a herd. Wolf-dog hybrids may also be shot.

The decision also provides financial compensation for farmers and hobby shepherds in the case of an attack. It also makes it illegal to feed or lure wolves.

Watch video 04:04 Share The return of the wolves to Germany Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3OGGa The return of the wolves to Germany

Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?

The measures are meant to quell a fear of wolves that has developed in many German rural communities. Farmers had campaigned for the right to protect their livestock with lethal force following a sharp rise in the number of wolf attacks on livestock.

361 lawmakers voted in favor of the new law versus 275 who voted against it.

Politician Hermann Färber of Germany's Christian Democrats said there were 639 wolf attacks in Germany in the last year, resulting in the death of 2067 livestock.

"It's high time that we provide another vision for farmers of pastured animals to protect their animals," he said.

Read more: Wolf reportedly bites man in German cemetery

Environmental spokesman for the Social Democrats Carsten Träger emphasized, "There will not be uncontrolled shootings of wolf packs."

The World Wildlife Federation welcomed the move, saying that measures to protect herds are necessary if humans, livestock, and wild animals are to live together in the long term.

But others criticized the decision: Leftist politician Ralph Lenkert called for greater support for shepherds, while Steffi Lemke of the Greens said it went against European law.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Northern white rhino This white rhino subspecies made headlines last year following the death of Sudan, the last known male of his kind, making the species functionally extinct. Some scientists are cautiously optimistic that it could be brought back with the help of IVF technology, while others say time has simply run out for the subspecies, meaning it won't be long before it disappears.

8 species on the brink in 2019 South China tiger The South China tiger is the most critically endangered of all tiger subspecies. No individual has been sighted in the wild since 1970, while the global captive population is likely to number less than 80. Some researchers have already declared the subspecies functionally extinct, but organizations such as Save China's Tigers (SCT) are persisting with their conservation efforts.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Amur leopard Fewer than 80 Amur leopards are believed to live in the wild, making it one of the rarest cats on the planet. Native to the forests of Southern China, Northern Russia and the Korean Peninsula, the amur leopard is threatened by poaching and deforestation. But there's still some hope — the leopard has found an unlikely refuge in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which has become a haven for wildlife.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Vaquita Also known as the gulf porpoise, the vaquita is the rarest marine animal in the world, with less than 15 thought to exist as of March 2018. The porpoise has never been hunted directly but it often becomes entangled in illegal gillnets intended to capture the totoaba, another critically endangered fish found in the Gulf of California. Efforts to stop illegal fishing in the area have largely failed.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Black rhino Researchers fear the black rhino could suffer the same fate as its northern white cousin if conservation efforts aren't ramped up soon. The population currently numbers just over 5,000 individuals, although three subspecies have already been declared extinct. They are primarily threatened by illegal poaching, driven largely by demand for rhino horn on the black market.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Red wolf With fewer than 30 remaining in the wild, the red wolf is considered critically endangered and is the focus of conservation efforts. It's actually a genetic mix between the gray wolf and the coyote, and was decimated in the 1960s thanks to intensive predator control programs. The shy subspecies is native to the southeastern US and Florida, but today is only found in eastern North Carolina.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Saola First discovered in 1992, the elusive saola is often dubbed the 'Asian unicorn.' In fact, it's so rare that there have only been four confirmed sightings in the wild by researchers. They are found in the forests of Vietnam and Laos and are threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. The population is believed to have rapidly declined since its discovery, with no more than 100 likely to exist.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Eastern gorilla The largest living primate is critically endangered thanks to illegal hunting and deforestation. The lowland gorilla subspecies is more populous with 3,800 thought to live in the wild, while only about 880 mountain gorillas are thought to exist. Although conservation efforts have been lauded in recent years, there is still a long way to go before the population will be considered stable. Author: Ineke Mules



A population recovers

According to federal data, the number of wolf packs in Germany rose from 77 to 105 in the last year alone. Also recorded were 25 pairs and 13 lone wolves.

The German Environmental Ministry estimates that there are around 400 wolves living in Germany, primarily in the eastern and northern parts of the country.

kp/rc (AFP,dpa)

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.