Extirpated in the 1960’s, protected by law in the 1970’s and functionally extinct until the 1980’s, the Eurasian grey wolf returned to Norway in 1997. With differing views on how to manage this fledgling population, the species is still facing an uphill battle.
THE RETURN OF THE WOLF – CARNIVORES IN NORWAY
Post by Tarurendra Kushwaha
The founder population of the current packs descended from a small number of animals from the Finnish-Russian population that made their way into southern Sweden. With a weak gene pool, the Scandinavian wolf population currently requires one immigrant wolf every five years to maintain diversity. Current conflicts with the species in the south, coupled with persecution in the north is preventing this flow of genes.
Formally protected in Sweden and descending from approximately 7 specimens, the wolf population has grown exponentially in Scandinavia despite their genetic isolation. This growth, as noted by the SKANDULV - the Scandinavian Wolf Research Project, can be attributed to the Swedish management of the species and general public acceptance outside of areas where populations are most dense. The strength of the Swedish wolf population has facilitated its migration into Norway and resulted in the establishment of packs along the border.
The wolf’s return to Norway brought with it a resurgence of the millennia-old conflict that humans have had with the species. These include livestock predation, dog attacks, trophy hunting, competition for game and a fear of living in wolf territories alongside more modern thoughts on whether to manage them for eco-tourism or sport. These contrasting views culminated in 2017 with a controversial government proposal to issue hunting licences for 47 wolves out of an estimated population of 80. Following pressure from environmental groups, this number was decreased to 20.
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