Overview

• The Landtag Rechtsausschuss has recommended lifting Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus's immunity, with a plenary vote set for next week.
• The 2020 shooting of a female wolf in Rostock was initially justified by Backhaus as necessary to prevent hybridization with dogs.
• Subsequent examination revealed the wolf was not pregnant, contradicting the claimed hybridization threat used to justify the shooting.
• The Higher Administrative Court in Greifswald overturned earlier rulings upholding the shooting's legality, prompting prosecutorial action.
• The case highlights broader tensions in Germany over wolf conservation, agricultural concerns, and the enforcement of wildlife protection laws.