A wild wolf in Germany is at the centre of a court battle over whether or not to shoot the animal after it showed “atypical behaviour” by repeatedly approaching walkers and dogs
12:20, 04 Feb 2026Updated 12:58, 04 Feb 2026
Wolf – GW2672m – faces execution legal battle
A wild wolf is at the centre of a court battle as the animal faces being killed in Germany because it has become too friendly with hikers and stops to pose for photos behind them.
The wolf – only identified as GW2672m – has been seen in many selfies taken by walkers in the world famous Black Forest. Now it is at the centre of a legal battle in a courtroom as conservationists battle to save its life. Environment minister Thekla Walker granted an exceptional licence allowing the wolf to be shot, arguing that it had shown “atypical behaviour” by repeatedly approaching walkers and dogs, and being perfectly happy to have his photo taken.
According to the state farmers’ association, there have been more than 180 reported sightings, including encounters at distances as close as six metres.
Environment minister Thekla Walker is at the centre of the wolf row(Image: Getty Images)
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The conservation group Naturschutzinitiative has filed an emergency case at the Stuttgart Administrative Court, which has temporarily halted the planned shooting while judges examine whether the kill order is lawful. One of the most widely shared encounters involved Michaela Jung, 59, from Baden-Baden, who met the wolf while walking with her husband and dog near Herrenwies.She told reporters the encounter was calm and unthreatening. She said: “Suddenly my husband said, ‘There’s a wolf behind us.’ I turned around and the wolf was looking at us. Calm, curious, completely relaxed. It was a mystical moment. Absolutely magnificent.”
Jung photographed the animal and sent the images to the state’s wildlife monitoring authority. When she later heard the wolf could be shot, she said she was utterly devastated.
European Grey Wolf, Canis lupus lupus, Group of Wolves, Germany(Image: Getty Images)
She said: “When I heard on the radio that the wolf might be killed, I was horrified and desperate. I started crying. I opened my laptop and launched a petition immediately.”
Another walker, Edyta Musiol, 44, said she filmed the curious wolf and also launched a separate online petition. Edyta said: “The wolf was about 50 metres away. He looked at us — my partner and me. A beautiful animal. Curious, but respectful.”
Black Forest where the controversial wolf roams(Image: Getty Images)
But not all encounters were welcomed. Matthias Wiegert, from Sasbach, said coming face to face with the wolf left him shaken. He said: “I’m torn about the planned shooting. It was an oppressive feeling, standing eye to eye with the wolf. Since then, my solo walks in the forest have dropped by about 80 per cent.”
The environment ministry has defended its decision. A spokesperson said all attempts to capture the wolf alive had failed and claimed there had been a rise in so-called “wolf tourism”, with people deliberately seeking out sightings. Wolves in Germany are strictly protected under EU law, and lethal measures are only permitted in exceptional cases. Conservationists argue that frequent sightings and a lack of shyness and a willingness to be photographed do not meet that legal threshold. For now, wolf GW2672m remains alive — not because the state backed down, but because a court stepped in.