Der Wolf hat sich ein stürmisches Gebiet ausgesucht. Seit Tagen regnet es auf Norderney. Der Wind wühlt die Wellen auf, Touristen wandern in Regenjacken über die ostfriesische Insel. Nichts Ungewöhnliches. Wäre da nicht der Wolf.
Das Tier wurde am 6. Juni zum ersten Mal gesichtet. Über eine Wildtierkamera. Das Bild ist scharf. Es soll einen etwa zwei Jahre alten Rüden im Süden der Insel zeigen. Gekommen ist er wohl bei Niedrigwasser übers Wattenmeer. Vom Landkreis Aurich bis zur Insel sind es Luftlinie ungefähr vier Kilometer. Ein Wolf könnte diese Strecke in 20 Minuten zurücklegen, sagt Gernold Lengert, der Vorsitzende der Jägerschaft Aurich. Dazu muss das Tier teilweise auch geschwommen sein. Offenbar kein Problem für einen Wolf.
Wolves are a hot topic in Germany. In the middle of the 19th century they were still considered extinct. Since the 1990s they have been multiplying throughout Germany – to the detriment of farmers and dike shepherds. In April around ten sheep were killed in the Aurich district. Lengert also knows a few shepherds who are having trouble with wolves. They don't want to eradicate the wolf, but if it becomes a threat, it must be shot. But there are no sheep on Norderney. Instead there are cattle, horses – and tourists.
“It was immediately in the press all over Germany”
The town of Norderney is well attended on this Friday. Visitors drink sparkling wine at Gosch and eat fish sandwiches. They shop at Wellensteyn, Tommy Hilfiger and, of course, Jack Wolfskin. In between, Bernd Krüger calls out “Announcement!” He has lived here for 60 years and has been a town crier for 15 years. His job: three times a week he loudly informs people about news on the island. But he did not announce that there is a wolf here. The media were quicker: “It was immediately in the press all over Germany.”
The wolf immediately attracted a lot of media attention. A wolf on an island. That's a story that has a lot to gain from it. “There's now fear on Norderney,” was one of the comments. Krüger was also shocked at first. “People always thought they wouldn't come to Norderney.” But yes, he's here now. He can't say anything more about it.
Maybe the tourists are afraid? Visit to the tourist information office in the Conversationshaus. “We're very relaxed about it,” says an employee. The wolf is so far away from the tourists and is also a shy animal. The only advice: “Keep your distance.” The owner of a golden retriever also reacts calmly. He also comes from the country and knows other wild animals.
Two “concerned citizens”
What about the mother of a small child? She is also unconcerned. “I'm just worried about the weather,” she says. A police commissioner reports that two “concerned citizens” called the station about the wolf. Otherwise, the police have not heard much about the wolf in their day-to-day work.
Frank Ulrichs reports something similar. The mayor of Norderney knows of two cases in which tourists have cancelled their holidays because of the wolf. But there is no danger. Ulrich's options for action are limited anyway. The wolf is strictly protected and behaves inconspicuously. If that changes, it could be relocated. “It's too early to talk about it.”
The situation is different on the mainland. Because of the numerous attacks, the Aurich district issued a permit to shoot the wolf last week. However, wolf conservationists immediately filed an urgent application with the Oldenburg Administrative Court. Hunters and shepherds must now wait for the court's decision. It remains unclear whether the wolf on Norderney is responsible for the attacks in the Aurich district.
Concerns among livestock farmers
But the shepherds there are right to be concerned: the wolf can leave the island as quickly as it came. At least for now, there is nothing they can do about it. Their livelihood depends on the sheep. Ulrichs tells of a crisis meeting on the island. Livestock farmers in particular are said to have expressed their concerns. The mayor can understand that. There are animals that cannot be protected at night. And: “Nobody can guarantee that the wolf will not do anything. Nobody can.”
Taxi ride to the grazing animals in the east of the island. The driver hears a lot about the wolf. Since it has been here, she has been more careful when driving at night. But the island has other problems. “It is much worse when dogs go after the seals and the owners do nothing.” Grey geese are also constantly being run over. People have to learn to get along with nature. The wolf is just part of it.
The pastures that stretch across Norderney are large. Not only horses graze here, but also cattle. Rabbits can be seen everywhere and at all times – a plague on the island. However, small animals are usually lower on the wolf's menu. Fallow deer, which also come to the island via the Wadden Sea, could be of interest to them. A carcass of this kind was recently found. However, it cannot be said whether it was the wolf, explains Peter Südbeck, head of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park Administration. Since no wolf droppings have been found so far, it is also impossible to say what it eats. But one thing is clear: it feeds somehow.
Horses are probably too big for the wolf
Lisa Schwenty gives a riding lesson next to one of the many horse pastures. She is the director of the Junkmann riding school and has horses on the island herself. The stable is near the bird sanctuary – the place where the wolf was last spotted with a drone. But the area is large, and the stable is not far from the center of Norderney. “At the moment, things are still relatively relaxed here. We mostly have large horses.” Too big for the wolf. The other riding stable on the island has foals. Things are different there. But Schwenty is not worried about her ponies. “They are in a meadow with the big horses.” She once saw a dog run onto the meadow. “It won't do that again any time soon.” The wolf on the island is still a long way from being a problem wolf.
But Schwenty also says that no measures have yet been taken on Norderney. Wolf fences are not allowed to be put up on the island. The only thing that will be done is to observe the animals using wildlife cameras and a drone. Südbeck says: “We don't need to think about further measures. Nothing has happened yet.” A wild animal has simply found its way onto the island. That is a natural movement. You have to be alert. But not panic.
The hunter Lengert sees things a little differently. He calls for “regulated wolf management”. “The wolf is here,” he says, “and it can spread.” Coastal protection is Lengert's top priority. A wolf does not fit into the concept.
Visit to the viewing platform in the Südstrandpolder. A bird sanctuary in the middle of the dunes. The mainland can be seen in the distance. The district of Aurich. Two cyclists talk about the wolf: “If it's still on the island, then it's somewhere here.” The wolf is a recurring topic on the island. At the bus stop and in cafés. But instead of fear, at least this weekend, you encounter one thing above all: Nordic serenity.
