Wolves have been persecuted across Europe and Asia and the USA. As such it is only in recent decades that we can see the impacts that they have as they return. The wolves return to Yellowstone is one of the most well-known occasions where a wolf’s return has changed the whole ecosystem. Though less well-known they have also been making great strides in Western Europe, with populations expanding from small strongholds in Italy and northern Portugal and slowly recolonizing territories across Western Europe. Recent genetic analysis shows wolves are found in Africa, though here their behaviour is more like a jackal than its European cousins – i will cover this separately.
Wolf watching is an incredible experience – whether it is just the spine tingling sound of hearing a wolf pack howling, when you are out on a walk, a chance encounter on the road, or something more intentional, it is something that is likely to stay with you for ever. Only in recent decades has the essential place that wolves play in ecosystems across the world being recognized – whether they will be allowed to return to all, most or just a part of their former range is anyone’s guess. Living in the UK, I am frustrated by the governments dismissive attitude (in the most part) to making our ecosystem work once more.
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Does the wolf belong in Germany? Not according to the CSU
The Christian Social Democrats believe that there is no place for wolves in Germany, and members of the party have called for their intentional extinction. Taking around 10% of the vote they are a small but relatively influential party – and given the way that elections work in Germany, coalitions are common. Unfortunately, coalitions will …
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After the countries biggest ever wolf cull, now Sweden is going to allow hundreds of Lynx to be hunted
Licenses to kill 201 lynx have been given, just weeks after a wolf cull where dozens of wolves were killed. In the case of the wolves, despite 300 being declared the minimum by scientists, the government has set the minimum at 200 – thought to be an effort to appease the hunting lobby.
Linking bear and wolf populations across Europe is the best way to preserve them longterm – is this possible?
The Pyrennes in the south west of France, and the corresponding area across the border, are a wonderful area of wilderness. There are currently about 64 bears living in this area. So where are we on the road to recovery? Were the the entire Pyrennes mountains wild, it is thought that these mountains could support …
Saving the Mexican wolf one at a time
There are currently no know Mexican wolves in Mexico, with the last 5 having been captured in 1980 to create a breeding program. It is possible that a few survived and have not been seen (there is a great deal of wilderness in Mexico), but from what is known they are none left in Mexico.
The government has decided to cull as much as half of the wolf population – why?
Wolf numbers in Sweden started to fall after a law in 1789 allowed commoners to hunt moose and deer, led to a lack of food for the wolf population. It is thought that there were no wolves in the South of Sweden by 1800, and they had vanished from the north by no later than …
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The manned wolf is being seen increasingly often in the Amazon rainforest
Not actually a fox or a wolf, the manned wolf exists in its own genus. Living on open savannahs the manned wolf is unfortunately facing the loss of most of its habitat. Though we hear about the loss of the Amazon rainforest the most, all other ecosystems in South America are also under threat.
Wolf encounter in France (not mine unfortunately)
I have had an encounter with a wolf – perhaps 100m distant, and no reaction to my presence. I have also watched a wolf from the safety of a bear hide. I have even listened to the eery sound of a wolf howl, both within an English zoo (late at night) and more excitingly from …
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Return of the bear wolf and lynx to France and western Europe
The recovery of wolves bears and lynx over the last several generations in western Europe has been nothing short of astounding. In the 1960s the population of the iberian wolf did not number more than a few hundred, yet now there are 2500. Similarly, bears got very low but now more than 300 roam – …
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Montana has moved to limit wolf hunts after more than intended, but commissioners won’t reinstate quota ended by Republicans
The rules about hunting around Yellowstone, are like elsewhere quite absurd. When the animals roam across an arbitrary line, they can be shot. One side is fully protected land, the other side open season. Now it is encouraging that the wolf hunt has ended early. The commission vote (passed unanimously) made a rule that hunting …
Norway continues to ignore science, but the wolf cull has been halted (for now)
Norway is a large country with only 5.4 million population. One would think therefore, that there would be plenty of space for healthy populations of wildlife. Indeed, one would be correct. However, they draw the line at wolves. At the start of the year, there was roughly 80 wolves in Norway. It seems foolish to …
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Looking at countries which are learning to live with the wolf after a century if its absence
Wolves returned to the Czech republic after a centuries absence in 2014. Why is this of interest? Well, there are areas across the USA which have been missing the wolf for one hundred years, so it is worth watching to see how they adjust. The Czech republic does still have forest cover of around 34% …
What is the actual population of the Iberian wolf?
Across the world many governments make money by allowing hunters to take a certain percentage of their population each year. In most countries this percentage is worked out carefully, so as to not damage the population in the long run.
Roaming wolf who broke ground in California killed on a highway
Wolves were exterminated very effectively across much of North America. When so called native Americans arrived probably as much as 15000 years ago, they quickly learnt to live alongside wolves. Sure, occasionally one would be killed, but generally they were left alone. Not so for the European settlers; as they had done before in Europe, …
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Should the wolf return to the wild in the UK
Yesterday, I wrote an article on whether the Lynx should be returned to the UK (returning to the home page will allow you to read it). As a medium sized cat, that hunts by ambush and restricts itself to forests, reintroducing it should be a relatively simple decision. The wolf does not fit into this …
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New resident wolf pack in northern California
A small new wolf pack has formed in northern California. This pack, known as the Beckworth pack has established itself in Pumas county. The pack consists of a 2 year old female wolf born in California and two others. This is only the third wolf pack to establish itself in California in the last century. …
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Last year a wolf was seen in Normandy for the first time on more than a century
Wolves were exterminated from France during the first half of the 20th century. However at the end of the century and the beginning of the 21st, wolves started to recolonise from their stronghold on the Italian peninsula. The first wolves were sighted around 1996-7 back in France. In the 25 years since, the wolf in …
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Wolf hunting in the USA: Wisconsin Hunt vastly overshoots
Under Trump, the American wolf lost its endangered species status. This was not a scientific decision, it was a political. It is true that the number of wolves in North America has grown dramatically since hunting was banned across most areas. However it is absolutely absurd to suggest that the population has recovered.
On pure numbers of fatalities (not to mention cost, simplicity and and health of our ecosystems), wolf reintroduction is a no-brainer
In the half a century running up to the year 2002, there are only 8 recorded fatalities from wolf attacks across the whole of Europe and western Russia. Also when thinking about this number we need to remember that the majority of these sorts of occurred in parts of the world where there are many …
The wolf dividing Norway: the hunter v the environmentalist, the guardian film, a review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EesdPOSXFTE I think this is the first long (more than 10 minutes) film of the guardian that I’ve sat down and watched. I suspect the have been plenty of others that would have been of great interest to me, but they have passed me by.
First wolf sighting in northern France in 100 years
Before the Italian wolves started crossing back into France from Italy, they had been missing since the 1930s. However, France is a sparsely population country- its population is similar to the UK but in a country about 4 times bigger. The wolf population has grown at a good rate for the last 25 years and …
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