Leelo Kukk, the Environmental Board's deputy director general for wildlife, said that interim protection has been applied temporarily until December 4. In this time, she said, the court will await the parties' arguments, based on which they will decide whether to extend this interim protection through the end of the wolf hunting season on February 28.

"Even so, the Environmental Board maintains that the current hunting quota for wolves is justified," Kukk continued. "The large carnivore protection and management plan provides for maintaining wolf numbers at around 20-30 packs. Based on national monitoring data, we can claim that this [target] has been exceeded."

Longer-term trends indicate that a bigger wolf population results in increased damages.

"For example, last year, in 2023, wolves were reported to the Environmental Board as having killed 1,411 sheep, which is the highest number of kills ever recorded," the wildlife official noted. "Regulated hunting has ensured that the wolf population hasn't fallen below the levels specified in the [management] plan. Banning hunting may lead to vigilantism against wolves, which could negatively impact their population."

According to the agency, wolves are doing very well in Estonia, and their numbers have increased compared to the previous three years.

The Environmental Board on Monday announced an initial quota of 90 in a hunt aimed at preventing and reducing damages caused by wolves. The wolf hunting season was slated to last from November 1 through the end of February.

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