Government greenlights nationwide hunt to cut apex predator population in half: 'We are concerned'

The Swedish government has put in motion a plan to halve the country's population of endangered wolves, outraging conservationists.

What happened?

As Mongabay detailed, the Swedish government permitted a hunt in January that allowed for the killing of 30 endangered wolves. According to the Guardian, there were 375 recorded individuals before the hunt. Despite records that the population dropped around 20% in 2022-23, the government announced the intention to reduce numbers further.

The new "favorable conservation status" population number has been set at 170, down from the previous minimum of 300.

Bern Convention members also ruled recently that the wolves' status be moved from "strictly protected" to "protected," with this coming into force in March. This will enable more wolves to be legally culled in European nations. The ruling has been made to protect farmers' livestock and stop the wolf population from getting out of control.

However, according to the Guardian, environmental experts believe the ruling would not only be devastating for the wolves but for the wider ecosystem across the European continent as well.

Why is the wolf population important?

For nearly 20 years and until 1983, Sweden had no wolf breeding population. With lax regulations and a hunting quota, the wolves are just barely getting by, the news outlet reported.

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Ecosystems have a fragile balance. Without a top predator, prey species can over-populate, and the entire habitat can pay the price.

What's being done to protect the wolves?

Unfortunately, the government gave the go-ahead and handed out permits to hunters, but this hasn't stopped protection efforts. Conservationists continue to speak out against the unnecessary killing of wolves.

A decade ago, similar outcry from conservationists, including the European Environmental Bureau and WWF, kept 44 wolves from being culled, showing action can yield results.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?

Absolutely 💯

It depends on the species 🤔

I don't know 🤷

No — leave nature alone 🙅

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If you're concerned about animal conservation where you live, you can donate to climate causes, or you can write to your local representative about the importance of healthy ecosystems.