According to recent estimates, 74% of sheep pastures and 79% of goat pastures are not protected at night.
Keystone-SDA
An unusual procession took place on Saturday afternoon in the streets of Bellinzona, in southern Switzerland. In response to a call from Ticino farmers exasperated by the damage caused by wolves, farmers accompanied by 300 goats and sheep made their way through the town centre.
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Thanks to the mild, sunny weather, a large crowd turned out for the protest. Organised by the Groupe Territoire et Alpages (Land and Alpine Pastures Group), made up of a number of associations in the sector and an umbrella group of veterinary services, the protest was intended to draw attention to the difficult situation of Ticinese alpine pastures.
According to the organisers, the pastures are not sufficiently protected by the cantonal authorities. According to recent estimates, 74% of sheep pastures and 79% of goat pastures are not protected at night.
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Wolves in Switzerland: cull or protect?
A difficult year for farmers
The year 2025 was a difficult one for sheep and goat farmers, many of whom live at high altitudes and are faced with ever-increasing wolf predation on their land. This situation has led to the evacuation of certain mountain pastures that “will probably never be used again”, said the organisers.
+ How many wolves are good for Switzerland?
In their view, the proliferation of wolves in Ticino is being encouraged by ineffective management on the part of the authorities, and legislative reforms are urgently needed. A popular petition addressed to the Swiss government was launched on October 2.
Eleven fallow deer killed in their enclosure
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, 11 privately-owned fallow deer were found dead in their enclosure in Bironico at the foot of Monte Ceneri. According to the local press, the fatal wounds were caused by “one or more canids”, but we will have to wait for the results of the autopsy to find out if the attack was indeed caused by a wolf.
Translated from French with DeepL/gw
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