Monitoring by the Šumava and Bavarian Forest national parks found that at least 43 wolves lived on their territory in 2025.
At least 43 wolves lived in Šumava and in the German Bavarian Forest in 2025. This follows from monitoring in a project in which scientists and representatives of Šumava National Park and Bavarian Forest National Park took part. According to Jan Dvořák, spokesman of the Šumava park, the number of wolves in the region keeps growing. The data were published by the Czech News Agency on 12 October 2026.[1]
Census results
In the wolf year 2024/2025, the monitoring of an area of roughly 2,000 square kilometres recorded 38 wolves in 11 territories and five more individuals moving on their own. Detailed findings came from data on 11 wolves fitted with GPS collars on the Czech side by the end of 2025, said Aleš Vorel of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.[1]
Wolf diet
Scientists determined the composition of the diet from droppings. The largest share consists of hoofed game, such as red deer and roe deer. The share of beaver rose from roughly one percent to three to four percent, which is linked to its more frequent occurrence. About one percent of the diet is livestock.[1]
Impact on hunting
Dvořák said that hunters used to take 1,000 red deer a year, while in 2025 they took only 400 and a further roughly 500 fell prey to wolves. In his view, the ecosystem regulates itself more. Marco Heurich, who is responsible for the project in Bavarian Forest National Park, said that browsing damage to trees has decreased in recent years, both in the core areas of wolf packs and in areas with heavy recreational use.[1]
Related articles: Šumava National Park
Chronology
- — Monitoring by the Šumava and Bavarian Forest national parks found at least 43 wolves living in the Šumava and the Bavarian Forest in 2025. ČTK / České noviny