A European Commission infringement process was launched against Slovakia in 2013 for breaching a directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. While this resulted in a wolf hunting ban in Natura 2000 sites, wolves in other areas were not protected: hunters in Slovakia have therefore legally killed almost 1,800 wolves since 2000.
In addition to legal hunting, wolves are also endangered by poachers.
“Wolves, as top predators, play a vital role in keeping nature in balance,” says Jerguš Tesák, large carnivore expert at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Slovakia, one of many environmental NGOs which has long campaigned for a ban.