Wolves are increasingly attacking in the Telšiai region: statistics vary, but the problem remains relevant
The damage caused by wolves in the Telšiai region was recently reported in Telšių Žinios, pointing out that this region has long been among the most affected municipalities in Lithuania. However, the true extent of the damage – is still not fully clear.
Although the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture mention Telšiai among the municipalities where more than 100 cases of wolf damage have been recorded, the local authorities give very different figures. Vilma Lukoševičienė, head of the Rural Development Department of the Telšiai District Municipality, and the Department of Environmental Protection say that in 2025, only 3 official reports were received – in all cases, calves were slaughtered, a total of four.
V. Lukoševičienė admits that the real damage may be greater, as not all residents apply for compensation. For example, in 2024, 28 cases were officially recorded, with wolves tearing up 90 livestock, some of which could not even be found.
In response to the growing problem, the Ministry of Agriculture has updated the rules for granting support. Farmers can now receive compensation not only for fixed fences, but also for mobile electric fences and other protection measures. However, according to the National Paying Agency, only 8 applications were received from the Telšiai district between 2014 and 2020, of which 6 were funded.
Although official figures from the authorities vary, experts agree on one thing: the damage caused by wolves in the Telšiai region is real and repeated. Farmers are urged not to remain passive – to use electric fencing, deterrents and reinforced fencing. It is also recommended to cooperate with hunters for effective population control.
The Department of Environmental Protection stresses that livestock keepers must take their own protection measures and actively cooperate with all links, including hunters. However, according to the Ministry of Environment, only one wolf has been hunted in the Telšiai region so far in 2025 – this occurred on 18 February.
As Telšiai News reminds us, protection against wolves remains the responsibility of farmers, but the problem can only be tackled through close cooperation between all parties, from farmers to state authorities.
Support
In order to facilitate access to support, the Ministry of Agriculture has updated the rules for the implementation of the intervention measure „Protection measures against damage caused by large predators“ of the Strategic Plan 2023–2027:
The project control period has been reduced from 5 to 3 years. The list of eligible measures has been extended to include mobile electric fencing or parts thereof.
