The expansion of Iberian wolf in Spain decreases

The Working Group meeting held yesterday with urgency and attended by representatives from relevant departments of the Autonomous Communities, has seen a slowdown in population expansion of the Iberian wolf ( Canis lupus signatus ), produced in recent years. Also growing concern about damage to ranching.

Among the conclusions of the group, "compensation" adequate and new technologies could support the presence of wolf livestock exploitations.

The MARM has recently wolf populations in Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Andalusia in the list of species under a 'special protection'. The ministry also agreed to adjust the legal status of the species to its current population reality, and increase efforts for their conservation and recovery.

To develop a conservation strategy and management of the species are different lines of work priority as improving the knowledge of the species and its impact on ranching, especially flocks contentious.

It also aims to increase efforts on measures of compensation for damage to livestock, identify and encourage the application of new technologies for the development of measures to prevent attacks and damage to livestock, and develop a package of measures to prevent damage to livestock.

Coexistence between ranchers and wolves

The wolf is one of the top predators emblematic Iberian wildlife. According to experts, having co-evolved "with wild ungulates, this animal is" vital to maintaining balance in food chains of natural areas. "

Is the case in areas with low hunting pressure, where the big game overpopulations cause great economic losses in agricultural crops and "pose serious threats to the health status of ranching."

Spain is a target for "priority" to reconcile the presence of the species with the traditional farmers harvesting, and to encourage synergies in sustainable rural development, which has the largest wolf population in Western Europe.

Source: SINC