With the wolf population rising and on the prowl in Germany, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is pushing for a new law to curb the damage they cause to farmers.

Schulze's proposed "Lex Wolf" would make it easier to shoot the protected animals.

"If wolves are repeatedly getting over fences or getting too close to humans, people need to be allowed to shoot them," Schulze told the mass-circulation Bild am Sonntag.

Wolves killed at least 472 farm animals in 2017, according to German officials. However, current laws place the predators under strict environmental protection, which makes shooting them possible only rarely and with official permission, or in a serious emergency. People who ignore these restrictions and harm or kill healthy wolves face hefty fines or even jail time.

Watch video 03:31 Share Can wolves and humans coexist in Germany? Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3D0QJ Can wolves and humans coexist in Germany?

'Do not feed the wolves'

In the weekend interview, Schulze said she plans to amend the current regulations. Her new law would allow killing wolves that cause "serious agricultural damage" and give even hobby shepherds permission to fire at the animals.

It would also forbid wolf enthusiasts from feeding the animals.

Feeding "lures wolves close to populated areas," the minister said. "And they don't belong there."

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The new law, spearheaded by the left-leaning SPD minister, should be approved "as soon as possible," with the politician still working to get the coalition partner, the CDU, on board.

Read more: Wolves and humans, a difficult relationship

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Scores of wolf packs wander through Germany

Germany's Greens slammed Schulze's statements as a far-reaching attack on environmental protection that would pave the way to culling other protected animals.

"Her 'Lex Wolf' will soon be followed by a 'Lex Beaver' and 'Lex River Otter,'" Greens representative Steffi Lemke told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.

Wolves had become extinct in Germany in the early 20th century and only emigrated back from Poland around the year 2000, thanks to nature conservation efforts. Their population is climbing and currently includes 73 wolf packs of between 3 and 11 animals, according to statistics provided by federal officials. However, Germany's Federal Office for Environmental Protection said there was not enough data to estimate the predators' total population. Unofficial estimates vary from several hundred to around 1,000 specimens.

What do you know about wolves? Eternal love? Wolves are said to mate for life, but it is a contentious claim, with some suggesting that while they are relatively loyal animals, it is also perfectly normal for an alpha male to mate with more than one female.

What do you know about wolves? Bloodthirsty savages? Wolves have been depicted over time as ferocious animals that prey on people, and children in particular. Conservationists say there is no reason man can't live in peace alongside wolves.

What do you know about wolves? Howling at the moon? Legend has it that wolves howl at the moon, but scientists refute this claim, saying they actually just lift their heads because it enables the sound to carry better. The animals are known to howl in order to assemble their pack, attract a mate, mark territory, scare off enemies, signal alarm, or communicate their position.

What do you know about wolves? Hunting together Wolves don't only live in packs, they also hunt as a team. While a single wolf can catch and kill smaller deer or mammals by itself, if they work together, they can prey upon larger animals such as moose or elks.

What do you know about wolves? A lone wolf A wolf that has been driven from the pack - maybe as a result of sickness or weakness - or decides to leave by itself, is known as a lone wolf. These animals are said to howl less as a means of keeping themselves off the radar of other nearby packs.

What do you know about wolves? Forever on the road Wolves are travelers, covering areas of between 30 to 50 km per day, and more if they don't find food. Their territories range in size, depending on the size of the pack and the density of prey within it, but average between 150 and 300 square km.

What do you know about wolves? Cute little pups? On average, wolves give birth to litters of between 6 and eight pups. They are born in dens which the pack's alpha female chooses during the 63-day gestation period. The babies are weaned after eight weeks, when they begin eating solids in the form of regurgitated food from the adults.

What do you know about wolves? Safety in numbers Wolves live in packs of between six and ten animals. The hierarchy is strict, with each pack headed by dominant alpha male. He, and his mate, the alpha female, are the only animals in the pack that breed, but all the adults help to take care of the pups. Author: Tamsin Walker



dj/jm (AFP, epd)

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