If you found dead livestock and think that wolves killed them, immediately take the following actions:
- Communicate with your municipality, inform it about the incident and find out about the procedure of the evaluation and compensation for the damage:
- Find out when and who will come to investigate the incident. Ascertain what you can or cannot do in the place of the incident until that time. If the investigator cannot arrive quickly, you might be asked to take photos of the place, footprints, wounds, bodies of victims. You may also offer to do this yourself. Keep in mind that carcases left in the pasture might attract the same wolves or other predators, so agree upon a quick inspection or a possibility to move the bodies to a safe place where predators cannot reach them.
- Find out about the procedure of compensation for damage caused by wolves. In different municipalities this procedure might differ, so find out what actions you have to take, what documents to fill and what compensation to expect for. You can probably learn these things from the investigator who will come to the incident location, or you may visit and ask in your municipality later. Note, the earlier you start to inquire about these things, the sooner you will finish and maybe you will receive the compensation quicker. It is important to remember that starting with Autumn of 2015 compensations are paid only if reasonable preventive measures were used.
- Take immediate protective measures:
- Remove the carcases from the pasture. As soon as the investigator allows, remove the carcases from the pasture in order not to attract wild animals. Until utilization keep them in safe place, where wolves or any other predators cannot find and reach them. Dispose the carcases in accordance with the existing utilization procedure.
- If you have more animals, do not leave them unprotected. Attacks on your livestock may recur, so do not leave them unprotected for several coming days. During the night or in a bad weather take your animals to a cowshed or enclosures installed in the pasture. Implement other quickly installed protection measures like fladry, etc.
- Ensure the protection of your animals for a long time:
- Find out whether there is financial support for the installation of protection measures. Municipalities have a right to direct a part of their environmental funds to finance protection measures from wolves. Find out whether such programs are established in your municipality and what are the requirements and conditions.
- Install long-term protection measures. Learn, evaluate and install the most suitable protection measures in order to avoid future losses.