class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>
Fear spreads in the Bernese Oberland. The fear of the wolf. A crack in the Diemtig valley killed several sheep last Wednesday, and just a day later a predator killed a goat in the hills above Wimmis.
Erich von Siebenthal (64), Bernese SVP National Councilor and President of the Swiss Alpine Association, warns of an “incredible summer”: “The situation is almost unbearable for the alpine people!”
The wolf population is increasing
The reason for the mountain farmer’s worries: there are more and more wolves. The number of herds has risen sharply in recent years and there are currently around 240 animals roaming the country. As a result, cattle tears are on the rise, many on unprotected Alps. “The wolf is endangering the economy of the Alps,” says von Siebenthal.
Herd protection dogs would be an obvious protection measure. The rural agricultural center Agridea came to the conclusion in a study last July that herd protection with dogs works “in principle well”. When there are tears, it’s often only because the dog is failing – or because the herd is too far apart in impassable terrain.
Too few watchdogs
Von Siebenthal mentions another reason: there are simply not enough suitable dogs in Switzerland.
The federal government currently has sovereignty over dog protection. The specialist herd watchdog unit checks the four-legged friends for their readiness for use and registers them as “official herd watchdogs”. Only two varieties are recognised: Montagne des Pyrénées and Pastore Abruzzese.
Subsidies only for recognized varieties
SP alderman and Pro Natura chairman Ursula Schneider Schüttel (61) wanted to relax this restriction three years ago. In a postulate, she called on the Federal Council to expand the list of recognized and promoted breeds of sheepdogs. But the government did not listen. There are currently no supply bottlenecks for licensed watchdogs, their statement said.
Graubünden has since given up. On the alpine pastures of the canton, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs also keep an eye on things – but there is no money from the federal government for that. Wallis also wants to take action now. Last week, the cantonal government presented its own testing and identification program “to remedy the lack of dogs officially recognized by the federal government.” 43 dogs, including Saint Bernards, Kangal or Transmontano sheepdogs, passed the tests and would accompany the herds to the Alps this summer.
Long waiting times
Today, wanting an official federal dog for herd protection requires patience: the centrally controlled processes are cumbersome, the clarifications take time, the waiting times are long, breeding is complex, because dogs to refresh the gene pool are rare.
Many farmers suffer from this. They do it without subsidies and import dogs from abroad, which often turn out to be unsuitable – an unsatisfactory situation.
Several applications have been submitted to the Federal Office for the Environment
According to reports, things are now moving at the federal level. No one at the responsible Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) can confirm that other breeds will be included in the program as official animal protection dogs in the future.
Spokeswoman Rebekka Reichlin tells SonntagsBlick: “The Bafu has received several inquiries or applications from cantons regarding the recognition of other herd protecting dog breeds. These requests can be examined in the context of the amendment of the hunting regulations, which are being revised due to the hunting law revised by parliament.”
Siebenthal puts it more clearly: “It’s clearly headed this way.” He expects the relaxation to become part of the new hunting law.
“We need more protection dogs in the Alps,” said the farmer and national councilor. “The Geiss licks away.”
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
