Hunting wolves is about to become more common in Europe – here’s why

From Independent.Co.UK:

Wolf hunting is set to become easier across the EU as the European Parliament votes to loosen restrictions on the practice across its member nations.

This move downgrades the animal’s protection status, reflecting a similar change under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. EU member states had already approved the measure last month.

The change lowers wolves’ status in EU law from “strictly protected” to “protected.” While this allows EU countries to permit wolf hunting, they remain obligated to prevent the species from becoming endangered. This could involve measures such as limiting hunting seasons.

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[Colorado Parks and Wildlife] Commissioners approve another wolf depredation claim while tabling another

From Denver7.com:

The wolf discussion at Wednesday’s Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting lasted several hours, ranging from approving and tabling two depredation claims to the latest map showing wolves in the Ralston Creek watershed.

The CPW Commission met in Durango on Wednesday for the first day of its two-day gathering to discuss a myriad of topics, including the latest on wolves. They initially touched on a wolf claim that they decided to approve, and later had a lengthy discussion regarding a claim that they ultimately, with the rancher’s agreement, tabled for another time.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife tracking up to four possible wolf dens

From PostIndependent.com:

For wolves, the beginning of May signals the end of denning season.

While Colorado Parks and Wildlife is tracking up to four pairs of wolves that could be denning, none have been confirmed, according to Eric Odell, the agency’s wolf conservation program manager.

“We are monitoring one to three to four pairs of animals that could be denning,” Odell said at the May 7 meeting for the agency’s commission.

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Otter’s return to [Belgian] Flanders highlights shared threat with wolves: Road traffic

From BelganNewsAgency.eu:

The otter, long absent from Flanders, was recently spotted in Willebroek – raising hopes of a cautious comeback. But like wolves, which have become established in parts of Belgium, otters now face a major threat: road traffic.

Considered locally extinct since the 1980s, the otter is now making a cautious return to Belgium, thanks to improved water quality and wetland restoration efforts led by WWF and its partners. But conservationists warn that road traffic could become a major threat to its survival – a problem already evident in the Netherlands.

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EPP not planning to use wolf vote to target more environment rules

From Euractiv.com:

The EPP will not use a final vote on Thursday to loosen protections for wolves as a vehicle to also open hunting of other species, but right-wing groups are being watched to see if they will seek further cuts to the EU’s nature rules.

The European Commission’s proposal to downgrade the protection status of wolves within the EU will be voted by the European Parliament after MEPs in Strasbourg decided to fast-track the procedure today.

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EU Parliament ‘fast tracks’ vote on wolves’ protection status

From Agriland.ie:

The European Parliament has today (Tuesday, May 6) decided to “fast track” a vote to change the EU’s protection status for wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected”.

The parliament voted, by show of hands, to fast track its work on draft legislation that would enable a targeted change of the Habitats Directive. MEPs are set to vote on the proposal this Thursday (May 8).

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Wolves Roam California Again, Reviving Old Fears and New Conflicts in Ranch Country

From KQED.org:

For decades, gray wolves were thought to have been hunted and poisoned into extinction in California, with the last sighting of the animal in the 1920s.But that changed in late 2011, when a wolf wearing a radio collar crossed into the state from Oregon.

In the years since, California’s gray wolf population has grown into the dozens, with most roaming the far northern part of the state. State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say wolfpack activity has been reported in Shasta, Lassen, Plumas and Sierra counties. But in some of those areas, like Modoc County, the wolf’s reappearance is fueling a backlash — especially among cattle ranchers, who see the apex predator as a growing menace.

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[Dutch] Geese much more damaging to farmers than wolves: BIJ12

From DutchNews.com:

The amount of compensation paid to farmers whose land and livestock have been damaged by geese, wolves, and badgers rose steeply, from €18 million in 2014 to €50 million in 2023, the Telegraaf reported on Tuesday.

The figures were put together by provincial wildlife agency, BIJ12, which will publish its 2024 report next month.

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Rewilding Europe’s Lost Wolves

From CIWEM.org:

Wolves have rewilded themselves across continental Europe – but not yet in the UK. It’s a hot topic for conservationists and for farmers. Poland-based Tom Diserens is an expert on how wolves affect other woodland species. Karen Thomas tracked him down.

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Translocated wolf travels the equivalent of Denver to San Francisco in four month

From MontanaOutdoor.com:

A female gray wolf, released in Colorado in January after being translocated from British Columbia, has made significant movements across the state, covering more than 1,230 miles since translocation — an extraordinary display of the species’ natural roaming behavior.

“This single wolf’s movement traveled nearly the entire southern line of watersheds on our map,” said CPW Wolf Monitoring and Data Coordinator Brenna Cassidy.

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