County fears illegal wolf hunting
County officials in Akershus suspect some anti-wolf activists may have
taken matters into their own hands. Three wolves outfitted with radio
transmitters have disappeared.
The officials fear that “someone” has managed to obtain equipment enabling
them to track the wolves, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported Friday.
Ranchers throughout southern and eastern Norway have been up in arms for
the past few years over the gradual reappearance of wolves in the area.
They contend the wolves threaten their flocks of sheep and cattle that
roam freely during the summer grazing period.
The wolves are protected in Norway, after nearly becoming extinct, and
researchers use the transmitters to track their whereabouts and
development. Some controversial hunts have been allowed, however, after
wolves were determined to have attacked free-roaming sheep.
Now it’s feared an illegal hunt has taken place.
“These wolves disappeared at the same time that the transmitters they were
wearing stopped sending out signals,” Asle Stokkereit, a wildlife
conservation manager for Akershus county, told NRK on Friday. He fears the
animals have been shot.
He’s working with police to investigate the wolves’ disappearance but says
he doesn’t have enough evidence to file charges as yet.
The three missing wolves belonged to the so-called “Moss Flock” and
“Kongsvinger/Aarjang Flock” that have roamed in Follo and Nes and in
Aurskog/Hoeland.
Two of them were the lead wolves in their packs, meaning that if they have
been shot, their assailant may actually have created a bigger problem for
himself. That’s because the loss of a pack leader may cause the pack to
fall apart, with its animals spreading out over wider areas, according to
wildlife officials.
Stokkereit told NRK he’s received tips from the public that re-enforce
fears of an illegal hunt. Norway has been sharply criticized over its
management of the wolf population, while earlier wolf hunts have sparked
international outrage.
County officials recently lost the right to authorize wolf hunts, with
approval now needed directly from the state wildlife management agency
(Direktoratet for naturforvaltning).