The natural return and assisted reintroduction of wolves to European landscapes creates coexistence challenges; welfare-conscious management protects wolves while reducing conflicts with livestock farmers.
Successful coexistence between wolves and livestock farming communities requires both effective prevention measures and fair compensation systems that reduce economic incentives for illegal killing. Wolves that learn to prey on livestock face increased risk of retaliatory killing. Proactive prevention — guardian dogs, fencing, and husbandry changes — protects both livestock welfare and wolf welfare by removing the circumstances that lead to conflict.