58 farmers in the region will receive up to 4,500 euros for fencing, electric shepherds, and mastiffs. The programme, in place since 2023, aims to reduce attacks from the Iberian wolf.
The Community of Madrid has allocated 200,000 euros for 58 farmers to adopt preventive measures against attacks from the Iberian wolf. Each beneficiary can receive up to 4,500 euros per holder and farm, with an average of 3,450 euros.
According to OK Diario, these subsidies, active since 2023, fund fixed and mobile fencing, electric shepherds, livestock tracking devices, and the purchase or maintenance of mastiffs. 68% of the budget has been allocated to fixed fencing, 19% to mobile fencing, and 8% to electric shepherds; the remaining 3% is distributed between feed for protective dogs and GPS collars.
The programme prioritises professional and young farmers to ensure generational renewal. The aid is distributed among more than twenty municipalities, including those in the Sierra Oeste affected by the major fire this summer, such as Navas del Rey and Colmenar del Arroyo.
The Iberian wolf reappeared in the region in 2023 and now has five stable breeding packs in the Sierra de Madrid. Its return has led the Administration to subsidise additional defence systems for herds grazing freely.
Official data confirms a decrease in attacks: from 398 incidents recorded in 2018, it dropped to 223 in 2024 and 184 in 2025. The Community attributes this trend to the effectiveness of preventive measures and a change in the predator's diet, which now feeds more on carrion and wild ungulates such as wild boars and roe deer, also reducing the damage from the overpopulation of these species on traffic and crops.
The programme doubled its budget in 2025 and raised the cap per beneficiary from 3,500 to 4,500 euros. The regional Government continues to request the central Executive to delist the wolf from the list of species with special protection to allow for population control.
You may also like
