A wolf shot dead: Press release
Paris, 15 April 2026
A wolf was shot dead during the night of 13–14 April 2026 in Bassigny (Haute-Marne), as confirmed by the prefecture. Behind the technocratic terminology of ‘culling’ lies yet another killing, part of a deliberate policy to eliminate wolves in France.
In this area live Aria and Charlie with their cubs. The wolf killed most likely belonged to this family. At this stage, it is impossible to know which one was killed, but one thing is certain: this affects the entire social structure of the pack.
Deprived of an experienced adult, the young may find themselves disoriented, without guidance or training, which can have significant consequences for their behaviour and survival.
No, this is not a “cull”
The word is misleading.
This is not a neutral act of “management”. It is a killing, with lasting effects. By disrupting packs, these culls can cause the very imbalances they claim to prevent… and generate more problems that will justify killing even more wolves. For is this not the aim of the authorities serving the lobbies? Such senseless decisions make one wonder.
A direct consequence of increasingly permissive policies
This shooting is part of a context of relaxation of rules: in Europe, with the end of the wolf’s strict protection status, and in France, with easier conditions for shooting and high culling quotas.
Wolves are social animals, with structured families, essential to natural balances. Yet in France, their situation is already critical: the species is classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN. Their numbers fall short of the viability threshold estimated at 2,500 wolves, and 23% of them can be killed each year under the ‘quotas’ now in place.
“No, this is not a ‘cull’: it is a family being torn apart, left vulnerable. Cubs may find themselves lost, with no adult to guide them, and then we mustn’t be surprised by further attacks. These wonderful animals, pillars of biodiversity, are being relentlessly persecuted. They are being slaughtered to make them disappear,” says Muriel Arnal, president of One Voice.
One Voice and its partners (ASPAS, ASPA Vosges, Education éthique animale and LPO) had challenged the decree that led to the deaths of either Aria or Charlie. And the organisation will also soon be appearing before the Council of State on the subject of wolves.
A wolf shot dead: Press release
Haute-Marne: a wolf shot dead, a family in danger