Residents near wolf attack site say protective fencing is impossible: ‘We don’t know what to do’

Local livestock owners in Egtved, southern Denmark, fear for their animals after a recent wolf attack killed two ponies—but say bureaucratic hurdles and high costs make protective fencing unfeasible, reports DR.

Michael Lund, whose horses and cattle graze just two kilometres from the attack site in Vejle Ådal, investigated installing a wolf-proof fence but found the process overwhelming. “Before the pony was taken, I never thought about wolves. That was something that happened elsewhere,” he said. Now, with wolves confirmed in the area, he faces steep challenges: his hilly terrain would require manual installation, pushing costs beyond half a million Danish kroner (approx. €67,000). A state subsidy scheme for such fences is currently closed, with no timeline for reopening.

Even if funding were available, Lund was previously told his larger animals might disqualify him from approval. An emergency subsidy exists—but only for farmers whose own livestock have already been attacked. “It’s not just a matter of ‘putting up a wolf-proof fence,’” he said. “It’s far more complicated than that.”

Neighbour Anita Staunsbjerg Hansen shares his frustration. Her calves and foals graze on open land, now exposed to the same wolf pack. “They’re out there to enjoy the sun and grass—it’s terrifying,” she said. A quote for a protective fence on her property reached 215,000 kroner (€29,000) before subsidies, an impossible sum for her small operation. “If the government wants us to use fencing as the solution, there needs to be accessible funding,” she said. “Otherwise, we’re stuck.”

Both Lund and Hansen are bound by municipal agreements to graze their land, which is too steep for mechanical mowing. Keeping animals stabled indefinitely isn’t an option. Hansen now considers abandoning cattle farming entirely: “I love this place. It would be heartbreaking to stop because of this.”

Contractor Mogens Kystol Knudsen, who installs wolf fences, confirmed the logistical nightmares. On Hansen’s sloped land, manual labour would double the per-metre cost from 50 to 100 kroner. “Machines can’t operate here,” he said. “It’s all hands-on work.”

The Danish Agency for Green Transition and Water Management, which administers the subsidy programme, told DR that decisions on renewed funding depend on ongoing government negotiations.