Mols Laboratory is now part of the Wilderness

Today, the Hempel Foundation takes over Mols Laboratory as part of the foundation’s work to improve the state of biodiversity in Denmark.

With this takeover comes a clear ambition: to make Mols Laboratory a hub for nature restoration while prioritising animal welfare, demonstrating that year-round grazing and good animal welfare can go hand in hand.

With this takeover, updated and improved practices in animal management are being introduced, where animal welfare is highly prioritised.

“We want to significantly strengthen our work with research, nature communication and education, and at the same time work towards a new Mols Laboratory becoming a hub for knowledge on nature restoration, with a wide range of national and international activities. The change of ownership also brings a revised approach to animal management, where animal welfare will be given very high priority. We want to show that good animal welfare can easily go hand in hand with nature restoration and the promotion of biodiversity,” says Anders Holm, CEO of the Hempel Foundation.

Action from day one

The new owner emphasises an approach where animal welfare is closely monitored, and action is taken in a timely manner. An action plan for good animal welfare is being launched at Mols Laboratory, and measures are being implemented from day one to ensure that all animals are brought into a sound state of health as quickly as possible.

“With the takeover of Mols Laboratory, we are launching an action plan for good animal welfare with nine concrete changes in animal management, which are based on some of the many positive experiences we have from our work in Saksfjed Wilderness,” says senior biologist at the Hempel Foundation and Head of the Wilderness Programme, Thor Hjarsen.

“However, we have had to take over a number of animals whose health condition is very concerning, following the exceptionally long and cold winter, during which time the previous owner apparently did not intervene in time. We are therefore launching an emergency action plan for a number of grazing animals, to prevent them from having to be euthanised.

Based on veterinarian advice, we have assessed that there is a need for focused efforts involving feeding for at least the coming weeks. All animals will also receive enhanced veterinary supervision.

At the same time, the groundbreaking research and communication work will of course continue, and be significantly strengthened going forward. Our goal is to support greater biodiversity in Denmark.”

The concrete changes are set out in a new action plan

The action plan includes a significantly strengthened focus on animal welfare, and a more active and systematic approach to animal management. The animal population will be continuously assessed so that it is balanced with the area’s natural food supply, while the food base will be increased by providing larger areas and sufficient supplementary feeding. A maximum stocking density will be defined, and thus a low grazing pressure, to ensure that there is enough food throughout the year.

The new owner is prioritising close cooperation with several veterinarians. The veterinarians will play a central role in supporting the animal population, including in relation to treatment of illness and injury.

As unsupervised feeding can be harmful to the animals, the new owner will focus on enforcing the ban against it. Overall, these changes are intended to ensure that high-quality animal welfare goes hand in hand with nature restoration and increased biodiversity.