In Rotenburg a wolf probably broke a rare calf. The mother animal was so disturbed afterwards that the keeper had to slaughter it.
- Rare calf torn in Rotenburg
- A wolf may be responsible for the rift
- DNA tests are said to prove the wolf attack
- Mother had to be slaughtered
Update, 13.02.2020, 07.06 a.m .: The calf torn in Rotenburg at the weekend belongs to the extremely rare breed Rotes Höhenvieh . Only a DNA analysis will reveal whether the causer was really a wolf, as animal owner Manuel Stück suspects - but the case already makes a dilemma of the wolf's return to Hesse clear: the predator is strictly protected, that The same applies, however, to numerous livestock breeds threatened with extinction, the keepers of which almost all work without any significant profit and which - to put it mildly - are now unsettled.
Wolf apparently tears calf in Rotenburg: it was a rare breed
“The Rote Höhenvieh is very resilient, the animals are on the pasture all year round in any weather. It is also a three-use cattle, ”says Manuel Stück. That means: the animals provide meat and milk, but can also be used for plowing and pulling wagons. Thus, pieces were already part of the parade at Hessentag . However, because cows basically had their day as draft animals, the breed was practically extinct in the early 1980s. There are now 600 animals again - 30 of them belong to him alone, says Manuel Stück.
The breed is also saved from extinction with the help of grants . However, Stück, who runs a pension horse farm as a sideline with his brother and father, has no longer applied for this subsidy for the current year. “If you take advantage of the funding, you commit to keeping the breed for five years. I didn't want to make this commitment anymore because the risk of wolf attacks is too great for me, ”says Stück. He made the decision several months before the calf's death, which was probably torn by a wolf. So far, the keeping of the cattle has brought a black zero. Without the subsidy, it is a hobby that plays on, he says.
Wolf tears the calf in Rotenburg: the calf's mother had to be slaughtered
He found the calf on Saturday morning outside of the pasture, according to a walker. It was gnawed at the belly and the back, the tail was bitten off. There was no killing bite - so the calf was eaten alive, piece. Even if it has not yet been proven, he is certain that only a wolf could finish the previously healthy calf.
Red mountain cattle killed in Rotenburg: Wolf protection versus species protection - Did a wolf tear the calf?
© Christopher Ziermann
In addition, gray tufts of hair were found on the barbed wire fence, "the typical wolf color ", says Stück - at least they could not have come from the fox. The suckler cow apparently chased the attacker away. She too found pieces outside the pasture, a few meters from the calf's carcass. “It took the whole day to get her out to pasture again. She was completely upset and confused. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to slaughter them. "
Wolf as the cause of the veal crack has to be proven - animal owners from Rotenburg want to continue
The animals are not ordinary farm animals for the 24-year-old - he gave them names, meat and milk are not marketed. In addition to preserving the breed , Stück also helps to maintain the landscape . A large part of the approximately 30 hectare pasture land is on steep slopes that cannot be worked with agricultural machinery. Manuel Stück wants to continue for the time being - even if the wolf is proven to be the cause of the calf tear. But he also says: "The next crack is over."
He is frustrated because he only found out when visiting the crack assessor on Saturday that several wild animals had been torn in the immediate vicinity in recent weeks. "And we, as grazing animal keepers, were not informed." The crack expert confirmed on request that carcasses had been found. A DNA analysis was not commissioned because the killed animals had been exposed to the weather for too long - so it cannot be clarified beyond doubt whether a wolf really was responsible.
Wolf protection versus species protection: How can you protect against the wolf?
The protection of wolf and farm animal must also be reconciled in other places in the area. Ecologically valuable areas such as the Eschkopf near Rockensüß, which belongs to a Nabu foundation, and the sinkhole at Rockensüß, for which the nature conservation authority in the district is responsible, can only be kept open by grazing.
Otherwise they would bush up - valuable species such as orchids would be lost. So far, Anton Göbel from Spangenberg-Herlefeld, one of the few professional shepherds in the region, has taken care of both areas. He no longer wants to do this because he believes that his sheep cannot be effectively protected against wolf attacks there. He already said that in conversation with our newspaper in December.
Nabu and the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg are currently in talks with Göbel about how to protect the areas effectively. “It's about a higher fence and the additional working time that this creates. It is not yet clear who is involved and how the costs are - but we definitely want to support Mr. Göbel, ”says Dina Schmidt from the Nabu Foundation Hessian Natural Heritage .
Red cattle killed in Rotenburg: Did a wolf tear the calf?
She emphasizes that EU law on the flora-fauna-habitat directive stipulates that the EU member states should preserve areas that are important for the species composition, such as lime grass. The Nabu pays shepherds like Göbel for their performance and even plans to buy more space so that the shepherds can move better from one place to the next.
First announcement, 11.02.2020, 10.32 a.m .: Rotenburg - A calf of the rare breed Rotes Höhenvieh is in the night from Friday (07.02.2020) to Saturday (08.02.2020) only a few meters away from houses in Atzelrode, a district of Rotenburg an der Fulda (Hessen), presumably torn by a wolf .
A voluntary crack expert from the State of Hesse took genetic samples on site. Their evaluation should now show whether a wolf is responsible for the crack. According to hessenschau.de, the calf 's tail was bitten off. The animal also showed bite marks on the belly. However, the case has not yet been officially confirmed.
Wolf: Calf torn in Rotenburg - Further sightings in Hesse
Around 750 meters away from the site in Rotenburg there is a branch of the municipal day care center Braach, which according to Mayor Christian Grunwald is currently not in use. A forest week was actually planned next week, but it is still unclear whether the storm damage will allow this.
One wants to talk constructively with the parents' representative about possible consequences of the wolf in the area. Evidence for cows or calves torn from the wolf has so far only been available in Vogelsberg in Hesse.
Most recently, a wolf was killed in an accident in Frankfurt (Hessen). Although the genetic test has not yet ended, experts are certain that the animal is a wolf .
Study proves: # Herd protection is more effective than wolf shooting https://t.co/DkBoqW7c61 via @ Naturschutz.ch #Wolf
- Robert Kless (@KlessIFAW) January 17, 2020Wolf in Rotenburg? Why is the cunning breed so special?
The calf, which was presumably torn by the wolf , belongs to the breed of the Red Heights cattle. These animals have been decreasing steadily since the 1930s. To increase performance, the rare cattle were crossed with other breeds. The last pure-bred breeding bull was used until the mid-1960s. Since the 1980s, associations in particular have dedicated themselves to the preservation of rare cattle breeds.
A calf of the breed: red cattle
© picture alliance / Britta Pede rs
As the population size of the individual cattle breeds was too small to maintain the individual breeds, the 7 remaining breeds were brought together under the name "Rotes Höhenvieh". The stock of the "Endangered Livestock Breed" now counts a stock of over 600 animals.
The main benefit of the animals lies in both milk and meat production. According to the Association for the Conservation and Promotion of the Rote Höhenviehs eV, the Rote Höhenvieh in Hessen is well positioned.
By Christopher Ziermann and Lucas Maier
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