The Federal Act on Hunting lays down rules for the cantons on which wild animals are protected, which species of animal can be hunted and when close seasons apply. The current Act dates back to 1986. At that time, there were no wolves in Switzerland. In the meantime, wolves have returned; in 2019 around 80 wolves were living in our country, and in some places, packs have formed. Wolves regularly kill and injure sheep and goats. These attacks and the appearance of wolves close to villages is a concern for local residents and the authorities. Parliament has therefore amended the rules for dealing with wolves and revised the Hunting Act. Nature conservation associations have called for a referendum against the proposals.

The revised Hunting Act takes account of the growing number of wolves in Switzerland. The cantons can now regulate the number of wolves proactively. The wolf remains a protected species. The aim of the new regulations is to keep wolves away from people and residential areas, ensure that less harm is done to sheep and goats and thus reduce the number of conflict situations. The revised Act also improves the protection given to various other species of wild animal, such as water birds. In addition, it will be possible to form better connected wild animal habitats.