The pheromone-filled collar is intended to protect the herd from the large predator. The news was revealed in a Swiss Radio and Television report, which reported that the experiment has so far produced encouraging results in the fight against wolves.
The anti-wolf collar was created through the collaboration of two Ticino companies: Studio Alpino and TiBio.
The test phase this summer included 26 farms with a total of 1,532 animals, 702 of which were equipped with collars. However, there was no shortage of attacks: 58 animals were killed, 14 animals were wearing collars. However, the experiment was also incomplete because several herds were only partially equipped with collars.
The Swiss Confederation supported the two companies with a fund to intensify research and improve the anti-wolf collar. Further research will serve to expand the effectiveness of the anti-wolf system over time and to better understand at what distance the predator picks up the pheromones, as it would now only feel them if it were too close to the herds is.
“Collars, fences, killing wolves are all things we are aiming for,” respond Swiss farmers concerned about the increase in wolves. They are also multiplying exponentially in Switzerland: in recent years their population has grown by around 30% per year.
A concern that has also reached the Federal Council. This was based on findings that 32 wolf packs have currently been identified in Switzerland. In the canton of Valais alone there are 10 of 70 predators. But what is most worrying, according to the Environment Ministry, is the fact that the number of wolves was under 100 in 2019, just over 100 in 2020, almost 150 a year later, around 240 last year and more than 300 today.