Suspected wolf attack kills 46 sheep in Miranda do Douro – Portugal Resident
A suspected wolf attack has killed 46 sheep and injured 12 others at a farm in Duas Igrejas, in the municipality of Miranda do Douro, Bragança district.
The attack took place in the early hours of Monday at a property near the IC5 road, according to flock owner José Carvalho.
He told Lusa that he found most of the 62 sheep on the property either dead or injured when he arrived.
Six animals suffered minor injuries, while another six were left in a serious condition.
Carvalho estimates his losses at around €15,000, based solely on the value of the dead and injured livestock.
“It will take me a year to rebuild the flock, and that costs a great deal of money,” he said.
The incident has been reported to the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), which is expected to investigate the attack and assess whether compensation is due.
According to information gathered by Lusa, it is the largest suspected wolf attack recorded on the Mirandese Plateau in the past three years.
Livestock farmers in the region have repeatedly raised concerns about wolf attacks. In October 2025, local shepherds described the number of incidents recorded since the beginning of that year as a “calamity”.
The Iberian wolf is classified as endangered in Portugal and is protected by law.
Measures aimed at balancing conservation and livestock protection include compensation for losses caused by wolves, as well as support for farmers using preventive measures such as native livestock guardian dogs.
In December 2025, Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho announced that compensation payments for wolf attacks would be increased under the Programa Alcateia, with the new rates applied retroactively from the start of that year.
The revised values represented an increase of 130% for sheep, 227% for goats, 160% for horses and 97% for cattle.
The Government said the update was intended to reflect current livestock market values, with compensation rates having remained unchanged since 2017.
