The pony, named Karlsson, had been a big hit with children visiting the Tuuleoru ranch in Karula, Valga County, until "On the evening of December 29, I came home from work around half past four and I saw one pony standing here," farm owner Snežana Leegiste said, adding that there usually would be two ponies together. Karlsson's remains were soon found.

"It couldn't have been just one wolf," Leegiste said, putting the figure at three to five animals, and noting the mild weather up to that point had meant the animals were out to pasture and thus more vulnerable to such an attack.

This is not the first time the park has experienced a wolf attack – the last came the year before, when a goat and a sheep were taken, while as many as 10 sheep had been killed the year before, Leegiste noted. She added that installing suitable fencing will cost money, while the farm's dogs are no match for wolves either.

Margo Tannik, chief hunting specialist at the Environmental Board, noted wolves have attacked ponies before as well, and that an electric fence of at least 1.2 meters' height is needed to safeguard livestock.

A recent spate of wolf attacks and encounters has led to renewed calls for further hikes in the annual wolf cull quota.

The culling season is underway. While the initial figure of 112 was raised to 130, and a legal challenge to the hunt – successful in delaying the start of the previous culling season – proved unsuccessful this time, some lobbyists say this is not enough.

Last year's African swine fever outbreak has also been blamed, since the ensuing cull of wild boar, a staple of wolves' diets, may have led the predators to become emboldened in seeking other food sources.

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