Madrid’s regional government is to double the compensation money it gives to farmers whose animals have been killed by wolves.
The area surrounding the Spanish capital is characterised by mountains, valleys, forests, pastures and farmlands.
So far this year 209 attacks on sheep, goats, cows and horses have been reported, a marked increase from just 20 in both 2012 and 2013 and up to 91 last year.
The wolf population had been brought to near extinction by the turn of the last century, thanks in part to alarmed villagers who would pay hunters a bounty for their demise.
But numbers have been growing slowly over the last 70 years. Some 20 wolves are believed to be in the community of Madrid, more within a wider radius of the capital and perhaps more than 2,000 in the whole country.
Across Europe, in excess of 25,000 wolves are believed to be padding about on French, German, Polish, Scandinavian and Italian terrain with sightings within a few miles of major cities such as Berlin, Rome and Athens.
Spain’s 2,000 wolves, however, are believed to be the largest population in western Europe.
Madrid’s regional government recompenses owners up to €500 per sheep or goat and €1,000 per cow or horse. Claims in the last 12 months have mounted to nearly €90,000.
The budget is being doubled to €120,000 for 2017.
“The community of Madrid has to reconcile two things: it needs to protect wolves – which cannot be hunted or captured in the region – but it also needs to protect farmers’ interests,” said a government spokesman.
“We’re paying farmers for the loss or injury of their animals but we’re also talking to farmers and ecologists about things like electric fences, using mastiffs to protect livestock and restoring pens to make animals less vulnerable to attack.”
