Photograph by Kjell Erik. He took this picture while sitting in full camuflage during the deer hunt. This female wolf was killed two months later in defence of a hunting dog during the elkhunt in October.
Aga Zakoscielna and Marianne Mikalsen live and work in Norway and are both strong advocates of protecting Norway’s imperiled wolf. I asked them to send me information on the plight of Norway’s wolf so we could educate and activate our readers.
Norway and Sweden are sharing one wolf population that lives for the most part in Sweden (about 410 wolves in total), but has also settled in the eastern part of Norway along the Swedish border. The wolves were more or less extinct and there were no breeding couples in Norway during the 60’s-80’s. In 1973 the wolves were listed as critically endangered and have slowely made a comeback since then.
It is not the farmer nor the hunter that is the wolf’s worst enemy – it is the politician who gathers votes for his next election by changing laws on wildlife protection.
The population reached its highest peak in 2016 so in May the Norwegian Parliament set a limit of 4-6 litters per year, including the border packs with a factor of 0,5 per litter. For the purpose of conserving a viable population the politicians also set another criteria: 3 of the litters must be born in Norway, but this is regardless of wether they are born within the wolf zone or outside where they will be hunted down as soon as they are located. The wolf zone makes about 5% of Norway and its shrinkage is illustrated in this picture:
The report was published yesterday evening and allthough the figures are only preliminary they indicate that at this point in the counting/tracking period (which is from 1st October – 31st of March), we ONLY have 38 wolves living within Norway, + 38-43 wolves with territories across the Swedish Norwegian border. This makes a total of 76-83 individual wolves.
Think what would have happened if the Predator Committee had killed 24 of the wolves within the wolf zone. We would have ended up with 14 wolves + border wolves. The goal of having 3 Norwegian litters would not have been achieved if the culling had taken Place.
The Predatory Committee wanted to cull 3 stabel reproducing packs that have done very little harm to farming animals.
I really hope that the politicians see the wolf pack dynamics more clearly now.
We are also awaiting the results from GPS marked packs, where the farmers and some of the people living in rural places, especially within two wolf territories, have claimed that the wolves have lost their fear of humans and have started to become more intrusive – this has so far not been supported by the GPS coordinates. The surveillance continues until 31st of March.
Since we now actually have fewer wolves than expected, and they are not showing any signs of intrusive behaviour, the Government will probably come up with wildlife law changes to satisfy the farmers eagernes to cull some of the wolves. Our Minister of Climate and Environment Vidar Helgesen, will porbably come with a suggestion within 10th of March.
This is our contact information to learn more about helping wolves of Norway:
Aga and Marianne are coordinating a Ulvens Dag – The Wolf’s Day
Aga Zakoscielna
Rasta, Norway
aga@ulvensdag.no
mobile: +47 99 26 72 79
Marianne Mikalsen
Oslo, Norway
marianne@ulvensdag.no
mobile: +47 99 22 60 80
Please take action by contacting members of the Norwegian government. Here are the email addresses to some of the members of the Government:
The Prime Minister Erna Solberg – E-mail postmottak@smk.dep.no
State Secretary Sigbør Aanes E-mail sa@smk.dep.no Phone +47 22 24 40 17
Minister of Finance Siv Jensen E-mail siv.jensen@fin.dep.no
State Secretary Jørgen Næsje E-mail Jorgen.Nasje@fin.dep.no Phone +47 22 24 41 14
Jan Tore Sanner, the Minister of Local Government and Modernisation
E-mail postmottak@kmd.dep.no Phone (+47) 22 24 68 00
State Secretary Grete Ellingsen E-mail grete.ellingsen@kmd.dep.no Phone: +47 22 24 68 24
Børge Brende, the Minister of Foreign Affairs
E-mail utenriksminister@mfa.no
State Secretary:E-mail elsbeth.sande.tronstad@mfa.no Phone +47 23 95 00 53
Børge Brende, the Minister of Foreign Affairs
E-mail utenriksminister@mfa.no
State Secretary:E-mail elsbeth.sande.tronstad@mfa.no Phone +47 23 95 00 53
Monica Mæland, the Ministry of Trade and Industry
E-mail postmottak@nfd.dep.no Phone +47 22 24 01 00
Vidar Helgesen, the minister of Climate and Environment
E-mail postmottak@kld.dep.no vidar.helgesen@kld.dep.no
State Secretary Lars Andreas Lunde E-mail postmottak@kld.dep.no Phone +47 22 24 57 02
Jon Georg Dale, the Minister of Agriculture and Food
E-mail postmottak@lmd.dep.no Phone 22 24 91 01
State Secretary Terje Halleland E-mail teha@lmd.dep.no Phone 22 24 91 09