Nine endangered wolves were slain in Norway on the same day after a judge decided that a contentious hunt could proceed.

Originally, 51 of the 80 endangered wolves were to be killed. However, campaigners obtained a stay of execution last month when they obtained an order stopping the hunt until an appeal over its legitimacy could be heard. They stated that permitting hunters to kill wolves in a protected zone would violate EU environmental standards.

Twenty-five animals, divided into four groups, are in the "wolf zone," a natural region set aside to safeguard predators, and these wolves were shielded by the plea.

Last Friday, however, the Norwegian court of appeals overturned the district court's temporary injunction to prevent hunting of wolf families within the "wolf zone,", which allows the creatures to reproduce and covers 5% of the country's land.

Hunts were conducted throughout the weekend, and nine were shot in a single day. Photographs have surfaced showing the bloodied wolves on the icy ground.

"This is a loss not only for the wolves but also for biodiversity and rule of law in nature conservation. The wolf is critically endangered in Norway, and we have a national responsibility to take care of it," said Karoline Andaur, CEO of the WWF in Norway.

“Now they are being shot just because they are living in Norwegian nature, even though they live in the wolf zone – an area where the authorities have decided that the wolf should have particularly strong protection.”

The Guardian reported in January that conservation groups from across Europe were urging the EU to intervene in wolf population culls in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, claiming that the Nordic countries were creating the most hostile environment for wolves in Western Europe and flouting laws protecting the species.

Finland halted licenses to slaughter three wolf groups last month, citing EU regulations.

Nonetheless, the Norwegian government applauded the court of appeals' decision to withdraw the cull order. “I note with satisfaction that the court of appeal upholds us in that the state’s decision of 22 December 2021 to kill wolves belonging to four wolf packs within the wolf zone, is legal," said a representative. 

The Norwegian environment ministry also stated that steps to guarantee that the full quota of wolves is taken may be implemented.

Siri Martinsen, who runs the nature group Noah, said "We are shocked by the ruling. The court does not evaluate the consequences of letting the state cull critically endangered wolves with the main aim of keeping them critically endangered."

Other European countries have enacted anti-wolf legislation. Sweden's wolf hunters have already killed the majority of their yearly goal of 27 wolves. In Germany, where wolves have recently arisen after migrating from neighboring nations, there has been concern about the predators' influence on agriculture. There are heated debates in the UK about whether wolves should ever be reintroduced.