Following a celebrated scheme to bring wolves back to Europe, strict protections look set to be downgraded. Animal groups have argued the decision is politically motivated.

After having come back from the brink of disappearing from Europe under strict protection rules, wolves are now facing the loss of some of their protections within the bloc.

Wolves have been a “strictly protected” species in the EU since 1979, but EU member states on Wednesday voted to downgrade this to simply “protected.”

The change will see a relaxation of the tight hunting rules and comes after complaints by farmers that the growing number of wolves was impacting their livestock.