The Dirty Dozen Wolves and the Price to Pay

Dr. phil. Walter Rathgeber ist Facharzt für Allgemeinmedizin und Soziologe, ehemaliger Lehrbeauftragter für Medizinische Soziologie an der Fakultät für Theoretische Medizin der Universität Heidelberg und an der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität München, und Verfasser sowie Herausgeber zahlreicher wissenschaftlicher Beratungsbücher zu Krankheiten und Untersuchungsmethoden.

"The Outlook: Narcisse Seppey, the former President of the cantonal gamekeepers of Switzerland, titled "The Chamois of Val d 'Hérens":
Europe Today and the Wolf
Das Europa von heute und der Wolf.
L Europe d aujourd hui et le loup
© Bengelmann Verlag Edition Bonvicini Munich, Malta, London 2011
Translated by Dr. phil. Knut Bengelmann and Dr. phil. Pauline Bengelmann, London, Malta, Munich 2011. © Bengelmann Verlag Edition Bonvicini Munich, Malta, London 2011
An essay by Narcisse Seppey, the former President of the cantonal gamekeepers of Switzerland, titled "The Chamois of Val d 'Hérens"
Dr. phil. Walter Rathgeber
Preliminary editorial remarks:
In 2004, the RZ Oberwallis, the Upper Valais highest-circulation newspaper, published a feature about Narcisse Seppey:
"Narcisse Seppey has been a hunter since early childhood, and 22 years ago he founded the Department for Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife. This hunter from the Lower Valais has a soft spot for 'real' hunting, whereby the hunter does not stay put until the game walks past, but stalks the chamois at all altitudes. This modus operandi has rubbed many people up the wrong way, and his distinctive statements have again and again provoked strong reactions especially among the inhabitants of the Upper Valais. Unsurprisingly, Seppey has also a very clear-cut opinion on the resettlement of wolves in Switzerland: 'We have no place for the wolf '[1]. In reference to the question on how the wolves had got into Switzerland, Seppey explains: "Currently we have several wolves in the Valais and they all arrived here by chance when straying across the mountains. If being released near the Italian border, it is only natural that they then migrate into the Valais!" In this interview with Ruth Seeholzer, he further proclaims:
"When I retire, I will write a book about the reintroduction of the wolf and the politics of the Green Party. What are these people going on about? They merely keep talking about predators, animals that kill: bears, wolves, lynx and more recently otters. Why? Their philosophy appears rather transparent: The more these animals show up, the less game remains for the hunters. [ .] Look at the shepherds of the Upper Valais - should they really put up with everything, accept it all? [ ] Even if nature alone had prompted the wolves to resurface in Switzerland, which I absolutely do not believe, one thing is crystal clear: If something is not good for humankind and the animal kingdom, then obviously it will have to be eliminated and not nurtured! [ ] Consequently, in Switzerland, we have no place for the wolf. Protecting ourselves against the wolves would cost us annually up to 24 Million Swiss francs. Who would pay for this? The shepherds? The Greens? Hardly." [3].
Ruth Seeholzer then challenges Seppey with the following query:
"Your position surely reflects what many people in the Upper Valais think and feel. It is understandable that sheep farmers do not like to see the wolves around. But what about the rest of us? Could we be misguided by those fairy tales about the big bad wolf? " ..."