On Monday, Sweden initiated the largest wolf cull in modern history, despite warnings from nature organisations that it might seriously hurt the population.
To restrict their population, the government has authorised hunters to kill 75 of the 460 wolves roaming the country. However, conservation organisations maintain that Sweden’s wolf population is relatively small compared to countries like Italy, where there are more than 3,000 wolves.
Wildlife campaigners say that the Swedish government’s decision could threaten the species even further and urge other European nations to follow suit.
The Guardian reported that Gunnar Gloersen, game manager for the Swedish Hunters’ Association, stated that hunting is essential to curb the rise of wolves. He emphasised that the wolf group is the largest the country has ever seen.
However, Wildlife activists contend that this violates the Bern Convention of the Council of Europe and have reportedly attempted to appeal the ruling without success.
The government pays little attention to the findings of the Wildlife Management Group of the Nature Conservation Association in Gavleborg, according to Daniel Ekblom, writes The Guardian.
He stated that despite repeated reports that the wolf tribe is in grave danger, the government does not take the situation seriously.
Marie Stegard, the president of the anti-hunting organisation Jaktkritikerna, told the newspaper that wolves, as apex predators, are essential for biodiversity.
She warned that eliminating a quarter of the population through hunting would harm wildlife and the environment.
She said this is bad for the entire environment, adding that wolves contribute to a greater diversity of animals and plants. Stegard stated that human survival depends on healthy ecosystems.
Anna-Caren Satherberg, the Swedish Minister of Rural Affairs, recently stated on a local television station SVT that the number of wolves in the country is growing each year, and the administration wants to ensure that it can meet the aim that was set by parliament, and one way to do so is by this slaughter.
In the past, the State Environmental Protection Agency had issued a warning that the number of wolves in the state’s population should not go below 300 in order to prevent inbreeding.
However, the Swedish parliament is in favour of reducing the number of wolf populations to 170, which is the absolute minimum number that it may go to in order to satisfy the requirements of the Habitats and Species Directive of the European Union.
According to Benny Gafwert, a specialist on predators working for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), who was speaking with the broadcaster, the legislative estimate of 170 was not founded on any scientific data.
He warned that unanticipated events may occur in wild populations and that a threshold of 170 is far too low.
There is an issue regarding wolf genetics, and the smaller the wolf population, the greater the influence of oscillations in genetic status, he continued.
The Scandinavian Wolf is already categorised as an endangered species, and it is felt that this move by the Swedish government poses an additional risk.
The country shares a wolf population with Norway along the border, where wolves are likewise considered critically endangered.
Norway is the only country in the world to set a cap, allowing just four to six cubs per year.
The Scandinavian nation permits hunters to diminish the wolf population annually dramatically.
Since the 1960s, when they were believed extinct, wolves have lately returned to Sweden and Scandinavia. After the last ice age, approximately 10,000 years ago, wolves arrived in Scandinavia from Eurasia, followed by humans, deer, and other species. The shoulder height of Scandinavian wolves can reach up to 90 cm. Males weigh between 35 and 55 kg, while females are 10 kg lighter on average. Even though they are the same species, Scandinavian Grey Wolves are often larger than wolves in Southern Europe but smaller than wolves in Canada. At a closer look, the fur of a typical Scandinavian wolf is actually a mixture of white, yellowish, and black. Typically, the chin and throat are white.
