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Here two wolves are walking across the cross-country ski trail.
The Flüelatal GR is known for its wonderful cross-country skiing routes. Winter sports enthusiasts can follow the trails through snow-covered forests for hours. But apparently not only people are impressed by the valley.
A video was published on Twitter on Tuesday showing two wolves on a winter walk through the cross-country skiing area – very close to Davos, where the World Economic Forum is taking place these days. The fact that the animals dare to get so close to humans causes a stir on Twitter.
The woman who published the video writes that she has children of her own who are enthusiastic cross-country skiers. And they would also like to travel alone with colleagues. “Can you still let them go with a good feeling? Does an accident always have to happen before politicians act?” she asks herself.
Canton knows about the wolf video
She is not alone in her fear. “It goes on until the first child is attacked,” reads a comment below the video. While some users see the wolf in its natural habitat, others share the mother’s opinion: the danger cannot be dismissed out of hand.
How dangerous are wolves really and why are they so close to settlement areas? Blick asked the Graubünden Hunting and Fishing Office. “We know the video and can confirm that the two animals are wolves,” explains wildlife expert Arno Puorger.
Wolves would avoid humans, but would not perceive settlements as a danger per se. “They can be found in the valleys in the winter months in particular, because that’s where their prey is concentrated,” says Puorger. It can also happen that wolves are seen on the outskirts of the settlement or occasionally even in the settlement.
How to behave correctly in a wolf encounter
It is basically not dangerous that the wolves come so close to the settlement areas. The wildlife expert on Blick: “It shouldn’t have any impact on the WEF. No special precautions need to be taken.”
However, when encountering a wolf, the following rules of conduct should be observed:
- Stand still and try to assess the situation. If the wolf notices that you have spotted him, he will usually retreat or flee.
- Give the wolf enough space to retreat. If the wolf feels cornered, it can be dangerous.
- If the wolf doesn’t flee immediately, keep calm and use a firm voice to draw attention to yourself; retreat slowly.
- Under no circumstances should you try to approach the wolf, even to photograph the animal.
- Don’t feed the wolf. This also applies to other wild animals.
- Never chase a wolf.
- Report any wolf sightings in the settlement area and any wolves with behavioral problems to the game warden. Wolves are considered to have behavioral problems if they deliberately approach people several times or behave clearly aggressively. This behavior is mostly a result of conscious or unconscious feeding of the wolves or if the wolves are sick, especially rabies.