The biggest wolf cull in modern times has begun in Sweden as nature organisations warn it could drastically harm the population.
Over the next month, hunters will be allowed to kill 75 wolves from a population of 460, as the government seeks to reduce the population density in certain districts.
But nature organisations have pointed out that the Swedish population of wolves is relatively low – in Italy there are more than 3,000.
“There is a large majority of Swedes who like wolves, even where they live. In our opinion the reason for these hunts are simply that there is a demand for shooting wolves among hunters. The hunters’ organisations have enormous power in Sweden. It is a fact that the Swedish parliament has a hunters’ club open to members of all parties, with a shooting gallery underneath the parliament. This sounds like a joke but it’s absolutely true.”
As far as it is known, Norway is the only country in the world that sets a maximum target number for a critically endangered species. It allows hunters to drastically reduce the wolf population each year. This extra pressure from the Swedish government, nature campaigners argue, could further imperil the species.
I was surprised that wolves are so persecuted in Sweden and Norway. Different cultures make a huge difference. Sweden is loaded with moose which are called elk there. You would think wolves would be handy in managing them. There was no mention of what wolves eat there. Maybe it is not moose. A lot of questions come to mind about why this management approach is used in a forward thinking place like Scandinavia.
https://stephenbodio.com/2022/11/dutch-wolves/
https://stephenbodio.com/2022/05/canids-repopulate-europe/
If the Dutch tolerate wolves you would think the Swedes could.
*Buddy needs to close that bolt and get a finger on the trigger. Little wonder they didn’t get any. LOL
The orange ball on the bolt handle is different. Also, is a silencer needed there?
Hmmmm……
Anything from the Guardian, I would take with salt. More than a pinch!
I’d like to hear the other side of the argument…. and when you have a government acting contrary to such a highly emotive argument and its *claim* of majority support, then you can bet that it’s probably a good one.
A little reading indicates that they are far from being a seperate species. They belong to the Eurasian sub-species of the Grey wolf. Wolves were apparently exterminated in that environment, and the current population originated from three individuals which migrated, possibly from Finland. They are significantly inbred – with a very high level of genetic abnormality, and fresh genetic material only enters via further migration from the Finnish population. All of which makes many of the claims in this article sound more like propaganda that science.
At best, they are a “breed” of wolf.
Yes, I raised an eyebrow at the subspecies claim.
Suppressors/silencers are a courtesy to neighbors, and they also protect the shooter’s hearing. There is no reason to prohibit them, except for having seen too many movies where they make guns merely go “Pffftt!” which is not the case in real life.