The wolf that killed a pony belonging to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen managed to escape the bullets of German hunters and is still alive. However, a new permit to have the wolf killed has been requested.
On September 1 last year, the male wolf known as GW950m used the cover of darkness to sneak into a well-guarded compound in northwest Germany and kill Dolly, a 30-year-old pony belonging to von der Leyen.
A permit that exceptionally allowed hunters to shoot GW950m, issued in October 2022 following the killing of numerous farm animals, expired at midnight. A spokesperson for the Hannover region told POLITICO on Wednesday that the wolf is, as far as they are aware, still alive.
The shoot-to-kill order had been suspended after complaints from animal rights activists. But on Tuesday, the Administrative Court of Hannover partially revoked its interim decision. So GW950m was once again be allowed to be hunted — or killed.
However only hours later, that permission expired and GW950m, or Snowy as he’s been named by conservationists, was free from threat.
But the next plot twist could take place soon, as a new application for a shooting permit has been filed. A spokesperson for the Hannover region confirmed that the authorities had received the application, adding that it must now be examined in detail.
The authorities in Hannover said they could not provide details of who applied for the new shooting permit. The previous request was received by the authorities on August 31 and approved on October 6.