The return of the wolf to Germany and the associated recolonization of habitats is to be welcomed as a success from a species conservation perspective. However, the return of the wolf also brings problems that particularly affect livestock farmers.

The populations of endangered native livestock breeds are small in number and therefore affected by genetic narrowing due to inbreeding. A diverse family structure is important for maintaining diversity in order to counteract this narrowing with targeted mating. With such small populations per breed, each animal killed or the loss of an entire herd can mean a significant loss of genetic variability and therefore have an impact on the genetic diversity of the breeds.

Wolf attacks can therefore cause particularly great damage to these populations. But increased attacks can also have an indirect negative impact on the conservation of endangered native livestock breeds if breeders give up their livestock farming due to the increased workload and the increased financial and psychological burden and their animals are not adopted by other breeders.

You can find the statement here (only in German).

Background

The Advisory Board on Animal Genetic Resources is a working committee of the German Society for Animal Protection (DGfZ) that deals with specific issues relating to animal genetic resources. The members of the advisory board are representatives of the federal and state governments, science and animal breeding.

https://www.genres.de/en/expert-committees/expert-committee-on-animal-genetic-resources

The Information and Coordination Center for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) acts as the office of the advisory board.

https://www.genres.de/en/sector-specific-portals/livestock