Development of livestock losses due to wolves, 2009–2024

The total losses shown in the graphs (killed, injured and missing/lost farm animals) are based on monitoring data up to 2016, and on compensation reports from the federal states to the Austrian Centre from 2017 onwards.

When wolf populations are low, individual behavioral differences can become highly pronounced. Individual animals can cause many kills within a limited period of their presence, resulting in significant spikes in the crime rate.

As in other European countries, sheep are by far the most frequent victims of wolf attacks on livestock. Goats are similarly at risk, but are much less commonly found in pastures. These two are discussed together below, as goats are not affected every year and then only in very small numbers. Larger, more defensive grazing animals such as cattle and horses are attacked far less frequently. Young animals are more at risk with the latter two species, but adult cattle have also been killed by a single wolf in Austria.