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Email: timberwolfinfonetwork@gmail.com

SE: Record year for wolves

Roughly translated by TWIN Observer

Never before have so many dogs and sheep been attacked by wolves in Värmland.
“It’s a record year,” says Fredrik Wilde, wildlife officer at the provincial government.

When the provincial government summarizes the year’s predatory attacks, it’s one thing that stands out sharply.

“It is again the wolf and attacks on sheep flocks. It’s a record year for attacks on sheep. What it depends on is very difficult to say but the bigger wolf population increases the likelihood of attacks on domestic animals. But that’s not the whole truth because we had so few attacks in recent years. We believe that the random factor plays a major role,” says Fredrik Wilde.

Even last year saw an increase in reports of killed and injured sheep but this year’s increase is very large. All, there are about 140 cases and the attacks are scattered throughout the county. Over the past five years there have been about 10-50 cases per year.

Even when it comes to wolf attacked dogs is 2014 a record year. The record was previously in 2007 with 15 attacks and this year 17 injured or killed dogs were reported.

Worst affected are in Arjang – with one third of all cases. There are six hunting dogs killed or injured during the elk(moose) hunting. Chairman of game management circuit is the hunter Morgan Zetterqvist:

– It is extreme here. People are resigned.

The game management circuit is now waiting to hear whether there will be the culling of two wolves. The number of attacks has affected the hunters. Few dare now hunt with unleashed dogs and many of them no longer want to help with traffic accidents with injured wildlife.

In Årjäng are two established wolf territories, in Glaskogen and Djurskogen, but that’s not where the attacks have been made. Fredrik Wilde on the provincial government, believe that the attacks may have to do with a new wolf territories that are being established.

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