In an effort to ease tensions between conservationists and livestock farmers, the German parliament's Environment Committee debated the issue of rising wolf populations on Wednesday.

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Four parties have submitted proposals on the issue, all of them calling for better protections for livestock and farmers, but they parted ways in how to best achieve that goal.

Read more: Germans divided over return of the wolves

The Greens submitted a proposal calling for wolves to be resettled and for better training for herd guard dogs.

The business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) each proposed allowing wolves to be hunted as a solution. The Left party suggested assessing the impact on wolves if they were allowed to be hunted.

The AfD also put forth a project to determine if certain animals are really wolves or if they're mixed breeds that have resulted from mating with domesticated dogs. If they're found to be wolf-dog hybrids, they lose their protected status.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government also agreed to ask the EU to re-examine the protected status of wolves in their coalition agreement.

Read more: Managing wolves in Germany: A toothy job for tough ladies

Wolf numbers grow in Germany From persecuted to protected Since the 15th century, wolves have been systematically persecuted, particularly in western and central Europe. By the 19th century, human hunters had almost wiped the species out completely. Now the animals are strictly protected, and it is illegal to catch or kill them.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany Gradual comeback According to new data from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), there are currently 60 packs of wolves living across Germany — 13 more than in 2016. Researchers also recorded 13 wolf couples and three sedentary single wolves, amounting to 150-160 adult animals in total.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany Enemy on the roads Road traffic poses the biggest threat to wolves: 140 of the around 200 dead wolves since 2000 were killed in vehicle accidents.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany Hunted down In addition to road traffic, Germany's wolf population has also been targeted by illegal killings. According to official figures, 26 wolves have been shot dead in recent years, including five over the past 12 months alone.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany Early deaths Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild. However, only about half of all wolf pups actually survive beyond their first year. Canine distemper or mange mite infections can be fatal to weak immune systems — especially in cases where the puppies are malnourished. Pups also have a slim chance of survival if their parents are killed.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany A problem for farmers While wolves aren't known for attacking people, they have been blamed for killing sheep. Farmers have tried to protect their land with electric fences or livestock dogs. If their animals are killed, German farmers are eligible for compensation. Some livestock owners and hunters want permission to shoot wolves to protect their animals, but conservation authorities say this is simply not an option.

Wolf numbers grow in Germany The friendly wolf? Tatjana Schneider (pictured) knows wolves well. She manages the Werner Freund Wolf Park in Germany's western Saarland region, where she conducts behavioral research. Our pet dogs are domesticated versions of the wolf, and in some cases it's hard to tell them apart. One key difference, though, is that a wolf's muzzle is usually slightly longer than that of a domestic dog. Author: Gero Rueter (nm)



'The wolf is not at fault'

Experts invited to address the committee were likewise split in their views of how to tackle the problem, as well as how many wolves there actually are in Germany.

The figures from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation showed that in 2017, there were 150-160 adult wolves in Germany.

During Wednesday's committee debate, however, the National Farmer's Union and others put the number closer to 1,000 for the total population. Both the National Farmer's Union and the German Hunting Association called for "wolf management" to control the numbers.

Merkel's new government agreed to push the issue of wolf populations in Brussels

Read more: Wolf cub hybrids face the chopping block in Germany

Ilke Reinhardt from the LUPUS Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research in Germany argued that killing the wolves doesn't solve the problem of livestock losses, and asked MPs to take note of successful herd protection strategies in Italy, Poland and Spain.

Although the fear of a wolf attack is "intolerable," Andreas Schenk of the Federal Association for Professional Sheep Farmers said the industry has been in decline for some time.

"The wolf is not at fault for the decline of sheep farmers. The responsibility lies with politics and society," Schenk told the committee.

He called for the government to pay farmers a premium for grazing animals, which could cost up to €40 million ($49.6 million) per year.

Wolves returned to Germany in 2000, having previously been hunted to extinction in the country, and have rapidly increased their numbers in the 18 years since. Their return, however, has led to problems with farmers and concerns that their numbers could go unchecked without intervention.

In 2016, over 1,000 farm animals were either killed by wolves or wounded in an attack.

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